Fitting In
by Supergirl501
Summary: She had never experienced a REAL school in her entire life, and she tries to fit in by being something she wasn't, but when an "accident" occurs, she'll have to live a double life, fitting in with a new kind of crowd. KyoyaxOC.
1. Scholarship

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club . . . **

**Okay, this is my first Ouran fic ever. No joke. After reading over a couple of other Ouran Fanfics I thought: "well that sounds easy to do", but it wasn't as easy as I thought.**

**But, at least I got the first chapter up.**

**So, without further adieu . . .**

**Here's Chapter one of my Ouran fic: "Fitting In"**

**Yays! :)**

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**~ Chapter 1 ~**

**Scholarship**

"K.C."

"Coming, Joe."

Okay, first things first, my real name isn't K.C., it's just my initials: Katherine Carol Johnson. I preferred to be addressed as K.C. because Katherine, or more importantly, Kate, was way too girly to fit my style. I'm a total tomboy (Guilty as charged). I'll wear dresses and make-up if I was going out somewhere fancy, like dinner or a party, or if I just had to; but, of course, I wasn't a huge fan of them. A simple T-shirt with my favorite pair of jeans was comfy enough for me; plus, I didn't have to worry about what looked better with the shoes, or accessories, I was wearing, like most girls I've known freak out over. Heck, my best friend was one of them, but we got along despite our different taste in fashion.

Being fourteen and in the midst my freshmen year of high school wasn't as terrible as I thought it was. Well, it was just because I've been taking online courses. After hearing the rumors of what happens to all smart kids in REAL schools, I declined the offer. Public or Private, there were bullies and mean girls; and even though I may have not experienced it before, I knew that if I entered one of those schools, I'd have to constantly watch my back and be wary of who I made friends with. Deep down, though, I truly wanted to understand the entire concept of what a real school was like. Sitting in a real desk, having lunch in a real cafeteria, and staring at a real teacher from across the room, would be like a whole new world. But I doubted that my brother would have enough money to pay for at least one year tuition.

Why was my brother ultimately in charge? He was my legal guardian. Eight years apart, but we get along better than average siblings. We were pretty close. Whenever I wasn't feeling well, Joseph would always stay home from work to take care of me, no matter how much I protested; on the other hand, I would always encourage him whenever his day at work was rough.

How did he become my guardian, you ask? Well, despite living in a nice home in a suburban neighborhood, our old life with our parents was the opposite. In fact, we were the children of millionaires. Joseph lived there for the first seven years of his life; however, he wasn't into all the rules about being a "proper gentlemen". He never had the chance to be himself, only what our parents told him to be. Once it was announced about an arranged marriage, my brother had enough of being forced to "put on airs" and whatnot, so he snuck out of the estate and ran away from home.

I, on the other hand, only lived with my parents for five years. The only thing I remember about the mansion, despite getting myself lost every so often because of the numerous rooms, was one scene that began my journey that changed my life. I remember walking into my mother's room and trying on all the shiny gold and sterling-silver jewelry she had in that little box she kept on her nightstand. Every little girl loved to play around with their mother's jewelry to "be just like them", but I soon discovered a little piece of paper in the box, a photograph of my parents with a young, brunette haired, boy I didn't recognize. When I went to question my mother and father about it, they didn't answer. Instead, they scolded me saying that it wasn't "ladylike" to snoop around in other's business. One of the maids told me the whole story, though; and after packing some clothes and snacks, as well as the photograph, in the little suitcase I had, I was off on my journey to find my brother.

Thank goodness it only took a few days. Joseph was working part-time at a little cafe, and even though he flew by on his bike, making his deliveries, I quickly recognized him. After I had caught up with him, it took a lot of explaining, and adults and teens barely understand five-year-old logic. Once I showed him the picture, my only evidence, he quickly believed me. And ever since that day, I've been with my brother.

Anyways, now that the entire background and stuff has been said and done, let's get back to the story, shall we?

Joseph had just returned home from work and had called me for something. Sliding off my bed, I walked out of my room and down the hall where I met my older brother, who was sitting on the sofa. In his hand he held a pamphlet of some sort, and I realized that that must be what he wanted to talk to me about. But, was it some kind of pamphlet for a cruise? I doubted it. There was only one way to find out.

"What's up, bro?" I asked, taking a seat beside him.

"I just wanted know how you would feel about going to school," he spoke.

Before I began high school, I told my brother that I would like to go to a real school for at least a year, just to see what it was like. How in the world would Joe even be able to pay for it? It depended on what type of school it was of course, but I have heard rumors about what kids did to each other in these "schools". If Joe knew that there would possibly be a chance where I would become a victim, why would he even bring it up? Besides, he was saving up his money to buy Mackenzie an engagement ring, so there would be no way for the tuition.

Mackenzie worked at the same restaurant my brother worked at; however, while he was in the kitchen, she was serving the customers. However, they became friends quickly, and now they've been dating for three years. Kenzie and I were close friends too. Even though she would drag me around the clothing department and make me try on twenty-something different outfits, we still got along like sisters. As much as I understood that my brother wanted to propose to her by the end of the year, I knew that he would have to save up enough money to keep paying the bills, the engagement ring, and everything else he wanted for that "wedding fit for a princess". Now that he was proposing to put me through school, would that mess up his entire plans?

"I don't know," I answered. "I guess it depends. What kind of school is it?"

"See for yourself," my brother answered, handing me the pamphlet.

I accepted it and then examined the front. There was a large, brick building with a clock tower, and a long fountain filled with lily-pads with a stone structure of an elegant fountain spraying water from the top. The heading on the front page of the brochure was the name of this "school": **Ouran Private Academy**. Opening the pamphlet, I found the numerous academics such Math, Science, and some Japanese History here and there; as well as numerous activities and clubs like art and music.

There were some pictures of the students at their desks, as well as during some of their activities. One thing that caught my attention was that the boys and girls both wore specific uniforms. Women wore long yellow dresses with long sleeves that were puffy at the shoulders; while the men wore a blue blazer with a white undershirt and black tie, as well as black dress-pants and shoes.

"Sounds fun," I spoke, skimming the text of each activity they had to offer. "I wonder what the tuition is."

"It costs a fortune, that's for sure," Joe spoke with and small sigh.

"If it costs too much for you to pay, then we could find another place; or, I could just keep taking online classes."

My brother smirked. "Who said that I would be paying out of my _pocket_?"

Okay, now I was really confused. The money would have to come from somewhere, and if Joseph wasn't going to pay it, and I obviously didn't own half as much as he did, then who would pay the tuition?

"You see," my brother began. "Mother and Father had originally planned to enroll me in that academy once I began Middle School; but you know that I ran away from home long before then. I know how much you wanted to go to a real school, so I've decided to enroll you. That is, if you don't mind being away from home for a year."

"That still doesn't answer my question about _how_ you were going to pay for this rich kid's school in ..." I skimmed back through the text, and my eyes widened in shock. "Japan!"

"That's where the plan comes in. Last year they offered one scholarship, and they're doing the same thing this year."

"So, I should try and get a scholarship?" I inquired.

My brother nodded.

I though over the "plan". A scholarship to any kind of school seemed fairly easy, but achieving one for an elite, private academy all the way over in Japan was completely different . . . right? I promised myself that I would try to get into a real school for at least a year before I graduated; and now that I was given that opportunity, I had to do whatever it took to get in.

"Sounds easy," I spoke with a grin. "Besides, I like traveling to new places."

My brother placed his hand on my head and tousled my hair. "That's my girl."

After a few more minutes chatting about this new school, I left the room, with the pamphlet in my hand. I sat on my bed, studying everything they had there from the academics to social activities. Then I closed the pamphlet, and took a good look at the building on the front cover. _Ouran Academy..._ I mused. Then I took out my sketch pad and began to draw the high school campus.

Thoughts about traveling to Japan keep me from sleeping. I stayed up late for a long time drawing the campus, that I lost track of time. I had imagined going to a school in town, but i never expected to go to one on the other side of the world! A rich school, I might add. Of course, all the students would be the sons and daughters of rich snobs, so some of them might be cocky. Not all of them, for sure. Most of them might be kind gentlemen, or ladies; plus, I would be one of the filthy rich for the first time in a while. Since I was too young to understand, even remember, I didn't have the chance to digest how it felt being in a wealthy atmosphere.

Once I finished my sketch, I took the hairspray and sprayed the graphite picture so that it wouldn't smear. As I laid it out to dry, I glanced over at the digital clock for the first time in a while. It read: 12:06 a.m., which was far passed curfew. After the sketch had dried, I placed my graphite pencils and sketch pad on my dresser, and then I climbed into bed. All night I dreamt about Ouran Academy, as I wandered the long halls in my yellow, puffy-sleeved gown. Before I knew it, sleep came over me, and I was there in my dreams.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I needed more practice to fit in with the aristocratic, high-social students I would be surrounded by. After about a month, I perfected my etiquette skills, Mackenzie taught me how to apply make-up as well as master the curling iron, the three sets of uniform dresses had already come in the mail, and all my school supplies were organized together. I began to study up Japanese history and lifestyles online, as well as learn the language so that I could speak it fluently. Once I got the hang of it, and I was all set and ready to go to Ouran Academy.

A few months passed, but there was still no sign of a letter from the school. Every minute that passed by felt like an eternity as I eagerly awaited the results of my test. I may have been a genius, but all those questions were time consuming; but, at least I was able to complete it. All that left now was a letter saying whether I made it into the school or not; but as the days passed, I began to grow fidgety, and glanced out the window nearly every minute awaiting the mail truck to deliver the letter.

Once a week flew by, I let the mailman stalking cease because Joseph said that good things come to those who wait; plus, there were other ways to pass the time while I awaited the arrival of the letter. Still, every time my brother came home from work with the mail, I always asked, "Anything for me?" Of course, the answer would always be "not today"; however, Joe would always keep a smile just to help me keep my confidence up. Every day began to pass by slower, but I eventually found some stuff to do to pass the time. Whether it was sketching, or hanging out with Joseph, or Mackenzie.

Later that weekend, I was on my way home from a bike ride around the neighborhood. Hey, it was better to get my mind off the whole school-thing anyway. After pulling on breaks upon entering the drive way, I made my way through the back gate to put my bicycle up. After setting my bike against the shed, I made my way inside through the back door. Glancing over at the digital clock on the microwave, I found that it read: 3:17 p.m., so I had about two hours before Joseph came home from work.

Walking through the living room, I made my way down the hallway to my room. I took my sketch pad out from my backpack, and then I began to lightly outline the uniforms of that school. Sketching was just a way of retreating into my own world; heck, I even loved fiddling around with the Paint Program on my computer. Still, nothing beat the old pencil and paper. I began drawing the female uniform, which was the dress; and, since it was a school for the wealthy, I had to make sure that each ruffle on the sleeved, or the stitching in the white lace collar, was intricately designed. Eventually, I made my way down to where the dress ended making sure that it was exactly length, not too high above the ankles and not too low below the shoes.

As soon as I had finished, I heard the front door open. "K.C.?" my brother's voice echoed from the living room and down the hall. "I'm home. Are you here?"

"Yes," I called back. "I'll be there in a minute, Joe."

I quickly sprayed the picture with hairspray, and then I laid it on my bed to dry. Afterwards, I turned and slid of my bed, and then I made my way out of my room and down the hall. Once I entered the living room, I noticed my brother at the dining room table scanning through the mail. No matter how much I wanted to search through it to see if anything came for me, I held it back.

"Hey, Joe," I spoke, walking through the living room.

He glanced up at me from the mail, and smiled. "Hey, sis," he spoke.

"So..." I began, glancing around the room, trying to hold back the urge to ask if anything came for me. I released a small breath and turned back to my brother. "How was work?" I asked.

"It was good," he replied. "Same old, same old though."

"Good... well, um..." I began, my eyes traveling around the room.

There was silence between the two of us, but then my brother spoke up. "You're wondering if the letter came yet, aren't you?" he asked, smirking.

I smiled, and then I turned back to him. "You know me so well."

"Well, I've only gone halfway through the mail, so I'll let you scan through the rest."

With that, my brother laid down the envelopes on the table, and then I took a seat across from him. I picked up the cluster of mail and slowly began flipping through them, scanning the addresses for my name. Finally, I came to one, silk white envelope with the name: Johnson, Katherine C., and our address. I laid everything, except for the white envelope, down on the table, and then I flipped it over to find the back marked with a red seal with the insignia of an "O" in the top corner and an "R" in the bottom corner overlapping it.

Carefully sliding the razor across the top, I took out the paper, unfolded it and read it. I scanned it over once just to skip the formal wording to find whether or not I made it. After reading it over, I nearly gasped in shock; and I read it over twice more just to make sure I wasn't mistaking myself. A wide smile began to spread across my face, as I continued to gaze down at the typewritten text on the paper.

"Oh, wow..." I whispered. Unable to contain my happiness, I stood up from my chair. "I did it. I'm in! Joe, they accepted me!"

My brother was stood up from his seat, and asked, "Really?"

"Take a look," I spoke, handing him the paper.

My brother took the paper and scanned it over. Once he had finished, a broad smile spread on his face. "Well I'll be... I guess they did."

"I can't believe it! I'm going to Ouran Academy!"

Out of my excitement, I threw myself into my brother's arms, and he responded by picking my up and spinning my around. I still couldn't believe that they had even accepted me into such an elite and royal school. Even though I may have come from a rich family, I couldn't remember anything from my old life; but at least I obtained the brains in order to attend an academy for the wealthy.

After a few moments, Joseph put me down on the floor, and we both began sobbing tears of joy. "I'm so proud of you, K.C.," my brother spoke, smoothing the back of my head. "I never doubted you for a second."

"I guess all that patience finally paid off," I spoke.

"It sure did," replied Joe.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Ever since I opened that letter to discover that I was accepted, I began to grow excited as the days drew nearer. After orientation, which was held the third week in March (school began in April), I could still visualize walking down the long, towering halls of the Academy. The campus may have looked huge in the brochure, but it was around ten times larger up close. I didn't want to leave that place afterwards, but I knew that I would return once I was on the plane to Ouran again.

Until then, I needed more practice to fit in with the high-social students I would be surrounded by. After about a week and a half, I perfected my etiquette skills, Mackenzie taught me how to apply make-up as well as master the curling iron, the three sets of uniform dresses had already come in the mail, and all my school supplies were organized together. I began to study up Japanese history and lifestyles online, as well as learn the language so that I could speak it fluently. Once I got the hang of it, and I was all set and ready to go to Ouran Academy.

Now, with only a week left until school began, I began to grow not only excited, but also nervous. Why? I was going to be entering a new school for crying out loud! That means that I would be surrounded by people that were total strangers to me; and I wasn't used to being around rich people, so I wouldn't know how they behaved, or their personality. Well, one thing for sure was that some of them may be like my brother, hopefully.

Before I even knew it, I was in the cab as it drove down the road to my apartment. Yeah, I know, fifteen years old and I would be living all on my own for an entire year in a completely different country. Paying for the rent would be simple, especially since American currency was easy to transfer into Japanese (I mean, all you have to do is move the decimal over two places...). Still, even as I gazed out at the beautiful spring scene of Japan, I began to miss Joseph. Was this homesickness I was feeling? Probably. But, like how I've noticed it happen to others, it would pass after the first week.

Once the cab pulled into the apartment's parking lot, I paid the driver and then stepped out. I carried my entire luggage in myself, especially since it was only a suitcase and my satchel that I would use for school. After picking up my room keys and entering the complex, I gazed around at the area. An exhausted sigh escaped my throat as I hauled my bags into my room. (Hey, a ten-hour plane trip can make anyone tired; and it was already seven o'clock). Once all my belongings were unpacked and set in their appropriate places, I took a quick shower before climbing into bed, thoroughly exhausted. As much as I wanted to sleep-in, I knew that I had to get up early yet again tomorrow.

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**So? Love it? Hate it?**

**Now that K.C. is finally living her dream as a real high school student, how will she act when school begins? Will she overdo it? Clam up? Make any friends?**

**Of course I know the answers!**

**Hope you enjoyed the first chapter!**


	2. Learning the Ropes

**Hey Fanfiction peoples!**

**I just want to say thanks sooooo much for the reviews you sent for Chapter 1! It's great to know that my story isn't a total FAIL XD.**

**Anyways, here's Chapter 2!**

**Hope ya like!**

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**~ Chapter 2 ~**

**Learning the Ropes**

My alarm clock buzzed irritatingly the next morning, and then I groaned as I wearily reached over to switch it off. I felt like I had only slept for an hour! Slowly sitting up in bed, I wearily rubbed my eyes and glanced around at my surroundings. Yes, yesterday was no dream, so I really traveled to Japan. I smiled.

Sliding out of bed, I made my way over to my wardrobe and pulled out the yellow dress uniform for school. After peeling off my pajamas, I slipped the gown over my head and pulled my arms through the sleeves. After struggling with sliding the leggings up to my waist, I made my way over to my vanity and fixed up my hair exactly the way Mackenzie taught me, and then I tied a yellow bow in the pony tail.

As I applied my make-up, there was a sudden lurch in the pit of my stomach, and I began to feel nauseous. I stopped what I was doing just to take a few breaths, whispering to myself that it was just from the nervousness and that it would all pass over eventually. After slipping my feet into my flats, I was ready for the day. All I needed was my book bag. I didn't wear the bag that strapped on my shoulders and hung over my back, this satchel was a rectangular bag with a long strap to fit over my head and onto my shoulder.

The one thing I would never leave without was my charm bracelet. It was the gift Joseph had given me right before we moved. After checking to make sure that I had everything I needed for the morning classes, I made my way out of my room. Locking the door, I set the key in the small pouch in my bag, and then I walked down the hall and down the street. Ouran Academy was only a few blocks away from the apartment I was residing in for the time being, so it was only a fifteen minute walk. There were a few other apartment complexes in the area I was staying in, so it was kind of like a neighborhood with multiple homes connected closely together.

Suddenly, I heard a voice call out to me. "Hey, you there!"

I stopped walking and turned around to find a young boy with short, brunette hair and chocolate brown eyes rushing up to me. He was wearing the male Ouran uniform, the blue blazer with black dress pants. I waited as he eventually caught up to me with a kind smile plastered to his face.

"Walking to school, I see," he spoke.

"Uh . . . yeah," I answered, shyly.

"Well, you wouldn't mind if I tagged along, would you?" he inquired. "It would be a nice change for once."

"Um, s-sure," I answered.

With that, the two of us began walking down the side walk to school. Neither of us spoke a word to each other, mainly because I was a little shy and I was afraid of mispronouncing something and making a huge fool of myself.

Eventually, the male student spoke up, "By the way, I'm Haruhi Fujioka."

I looked over at him and noticed he had a kind, but calm smile on his lips. There was something about this student that made me feel more at ease, most likely because he obviously could tell that I was nervous.

"I'm Katherine Johnson," I answered, returning his smile with my own, rather weak one.

Haruhi smiled warmly. "Are you nervous for the first day of school?"

"Uh . . . yeah," I answered, but then I grinned. "But, who isn't?"

The male student giggled, probably because my smile looked a little funny, but I let my jaw relax as we continued to school. Okay, that giggle was a little weird, especially for a boy. In fact, it sounded a lot like a girly kind of giggle; and come to think of it, Haruhi looked a little feminine. I turned my head back slightly to look over him once more. Scratch out the first mental note: A LOT feminine. Of course, Haruhi may be a late-bloomer, so his voice probably hadn't cracked just yet.

"So," Fujioka-san began, breaking the silence, "why did you decide to walk to school?"

"Well . . . I kind of had to," I answered, blushing. "You see, I'm a transfer student from America."

"Ah, so you're the new scholarship student then," Haruhi commented.

"Ye-ah . . ."

Haruhi only grinned. "Interesting. You must be really smart."

"Uh, yeah," I replied, rather embarrassed.

I didn't want to be known as the genius of the school yet. If word got around that I was a complete whiz-kid, I'd be the target for bullies and mean girls in no time at all. I mean, you might as well tape a piece of paper to my back saying: "Pick on me, I have a 2.7 GPA". After reading all about bullies from books, and in movies, I didn't want to become one of those characters, especially since I wanted to fit in with the rich kids for once.

Despite my genius level being revealed on the first day of class, a small smile crossed Haruhi's face. "Don't worry, Katherine-san," she spoke. "I know how it is to be the only smart one around school."

With that, Haruhi suddenly took a turn around the corner, and I followed without hesitation, assuming that he (or she . . .) had her/his own short-cut. Haruhi knew exactly what I was going through? Maybe there _was _a place for me to adjust into this stuck-up school. Still, questions continued to buzz around in my head, and I couldn't help but wonder if Haruhi was a boy or really a girl. The student looked and spoke exactly like a female, but he was wearing the male uniform. I just couldn't quite figure out how to discern that observation.

I just had to ask: "Haruhi-san, you wouldn't by any chance be a . . . girl, would you?"

The student suddenly froze. "W–why ask?"

"I was just wondering," I replied, hoping that I hadn't offended him (. . . her). "I mean, you kind of look and act like a girl."

I heard Haruhi release a deep sigh, and then the student turned to me. "Promise not to tell anyone?"

"Uh, sure," I answered, not really understanding what I was making a promise for.

"You see, Katherine, I really am a girl," Haruhi admitted.

"Then why are you–?" I began.

But the student cut me off, "It's hard to explain, but, you see, there's this club I'm in. Last year, I stumbled in there on accident, but when I tried to make a subtle escape, I bumped into this expensive vase that was going to be auctioned with the starting bid of eight million yen. Since I never came from a rich background, I didn't have the money to pay it off. So, I joined to club to try and pay off the debt."

"Oh, I see," I replied. "So, why would they make you dress as a boy?"

"It's a boys club," she replied. "Basically, they entertain and flirt with the ladies. It's full of deranged weirdoes, but that's just my opinion. The other girls love it. Anyway," Haruhi added, turning from me, "school is about to start, so we'd better get there."

With that, she continued down the sidewalk while I followed close behind her. So, Haruhi _was _a girl dressed as a boy only to pay off some debt to a club. Well, there was no wonder why everything was so expensive in this place; it was run by a bunch of wealthy guys. Even though I had a rich heritage, I was too young to understand how it felt; but with a little help from my brother and friends over summer vacation, I would fit in perfectly.

"So, Katherine," Haruhi spoke, breaking the silence between us as we walked down the hall, "How's life in America?"

"Pretty good," I answered. "Japan is really amazing itself. I have to live with my brother though. I mean, we haven't seen our parents in ten years."

Haruhi tilted her head in puzzlement. "Why?"

"You see, to make a long story short, I do come from a filthy rich family," I explained. "But, life back home wasn't always great. My brother couldn't stand the rules they had, and the arranged marriage they planned; so, he eventually ran away. I don't remember allot about life back home, because when I was only five, I went off to find my brother. We've been together ever since."

"I see. Interesting."

"Just . . ." I began, "just don't tell anyone about it."

The female club member raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Because . . ." I began. I stopped, and glanced away as I continued, "because I don't want anyone to make fun of me just because to them I'm considered poor."

"So? I'm the same way, and they all know about me."

"Yeah, but . . . but, you see, I don't have many friends back home; and since I'm finally going to get the feel for the rich life, I just . . . just want to blend in for a while, you know."

The female student nodded her head understandingly.

"Please, Haruhi, don't tell anyone about my secret," I stopped, thinking over what I had said before adding, "Unless, you feel like you need to tell, or when the time is right to tell."

"I'll keep it, but on one condition."

"What's that?"

Haruhi smiled. "I'll keep your secret safe, as long as you keep mine safe."

I smiled back. "Deal."

We both had secrets to keep from the other students, except mine was more temporary than the others. Only the school board knew about me being a "commoner" as they put it, but not the students so far; and I was sure that the staff knew about Haruhi being a girl as well. However, Haruhi has to keep her identity a secret amongst her peers or else she'll never be able to pay off her debt, so her secret was never to be revealed to anyone but those she could trust. Now that we both had secrets to hold from the rest of the students, we could trust each other with them. Haruhi and I may be alike in some ways, and I knew that I would build up a close relationship with her throughout the year. But, if she was going to graduate high school here, maybe I should too. After all, I could get used to this place.

"Well, here we are," Haruhi spoke, as we strode through the golden gates of the Academy.

I just stared in awe at the giant, two-storied building with a clock tower the size of a skyscraper. Sure, I already saw the campus back during orientation; but I was still awestruck at its size. From the brochure, there were Elementary and Middle School divisions just behind the main building, which was the High School. There must've been at least a thousand classrooms! Well, maybe a hundred, while the rest were music rooms, dance studios, and all that other stuff.

I smiled, and then I turned to the female student. "Thanks again, Haruhi."

"No problem," she replied. "Well, I guess I'll catch you later, then. I have to make it to my class before-"

"HA-RU-HI!" a pair of voices chimed in perfect unison.

I turned around to find two identical boys with cat like grins plastered on their faces. Both of them had spiky, red hair and hazel colored eyes. They each had an arm draped around the other's shoulders as they strode over to us, and I turned to Haruhi wondering if she knew these two.

The female student released an exasperated sigh as she muttered, "The twins . . ."

"We missed you over the break," one of the 'twins' spoke, resting his arm on the female student's shoulder.

"Nothing was fun without our little toy to play with," the second one added, mimicking his brother.

Haruhi only groaned, obviously irritated; however, I only stared from the two of them. Never in my life have I met twins as identical as these two. Actually, I've never met twins in my entire life at all. These two brothers looked exactly alike, and they even finished each other's sentences! I could only imagine having a twin of my own . . . Joseph would probably flip out if he had to take care of two girls!

Then, the first one glanced up at me curiously, and then he smirked. "So, who's your friend?"

"Yeah, aren't you going to introduce us?" the second one asked.

"Oh, right," Haruhi spoke. "Katherine, these are the Hitachiin twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. Twins, this is Katherine. She's a new student here"

"Pleasure to meet you, Kaoru and Hikaru," I spoke, bowing at the waist.

The two gazed at each other, gave a sly smile, and then they both glanced back at me. "Can you tell which one of us is which?" they asked in unison, standing up.

"Guys, it's her first day," Haruhi pleaded, glancing over her shoulder at them. "Don't make her do this."

"It's just practice," the second one spoke. Then he turned to me, "So, can you guess?"

"Um," I began, glancing from the two of them. I was completely clueless! I mean, they looked exactly alike; so, I decided to make a wild guess. Pointing to the one on my left, I spoke, "I guess, you're Hikaru," then I pointed to the other one, "and you're Kaoru."

"Uh-oh, you got it wrong," they chorused in unison. "But, good try though," the one on my right, who was the real Hikaru, spoke.

I began to ponder on how I was unable to figure them out, so I decided to study them more closely. Then, I noticed how Kaoru's hair parted to the right while Hikaru's parted to the left; plus, Hikaru had a slightly deeper voice than his twin, and Kaoru had a softer expression. Next time those two got me to try their little game again I'd have them in checkmate.

"Anyway," Hikaru continued, wrapping his arm around the female club member.

"We have some catching up to do, Haruhi," Kaoru finished, copying his brother.

With that, they turned dragging Haruhi into the school, but they both glanced back over their shoulders and waved. "Nice meeting you, Katherine!"

"Nice meeting you guys too!" I called back.

But they had already disappeared in the building. I sighed. Alone once again, and since Haruhi was a second-year, I wouldn't be able to see her until lunch . . . possibly after school let out that afternoon. Of course, she was in that club, and club activities ran until 6pm. Man, with all that homework, plus working for that club, she must feel exhausted by the end of the day!

Glancing up at the clock tower, I found that it was 7:45 am, so I had about ten minutes to get to class. With the school this huge, I only prayed that I wouldn't get lost! Straightening my posture, and then releasing a deep breath, I strode up the steps and to the large, 15ft. doors. Once I took my first few steps around the school, I would be a student here until the end of the third trimester in December. Guess I should make the best of it.

Wandering around the halls of the school, I kept my eyes on the signs above the door, just to make sure I didn't miss the room. It was difficult to read the language when it was so high up, and, plus, all the doors here looked the same. I did _not_ want to be late on the first day of school, mainly because it would give me a bad image. Seriously, they should at least have maps outside the principal's office or something.

Once I came to the end of the hall and turning yet another corner to enter another extensive hallway, I sighed and slouched against the wall. I felt like I was trapped in a house of mirrors. Every single one of these long hallways looked exactly the same! I had to find my class in less than five minutes or my first day of school turning into a total nightmare would haunt me for the rest of my life.

"Need any assistance?" a male, monotone voice spoke from behind me.

Startled, I jerked up from my position and whirled around to find a tall, lean male student gazing down at me with gray eyes hidden behind his thin-framed glasses. He had thin black hair combed neatly so that his short bangs swayed a bit to the right, and a small grin was plastered on his lips.

I stammered to answer as I stared up at him. He sure was tall, a few inches taller than Joseph actually. Compared to me, however, the top of my head reached up to the male student's shoulders, so I wasn't _that_ short. Even though those glasses made him look more intelligent and a little nerdy (Of course, I was a little nerdy myself, so who am I to judge?); nevertheless, he sure was handsome. I guess that would be why I was tripping over my words as I fumbled through my mind to come up with a reasonable answer.

"It's nothing serious," I replied, blushing slightly. "I was just . . . looking for my classroom."

"I see," the student spoke. "First-year, I assume."

"Yeah . . ." I answered, more embarrassed than I was nervous.

"Well, you're far from the first year classrooms," he spoke. "You traveled to the third-year division."

Hearing that only made me blush even redder with embarrassment. "Oh . . ." I spoke, looking away.

_Third-year division? What is wrong with me?_ I pondered.

I guessed that I was so nervous since the twins took Haruhi away to their classroom so I didn't have anyone to chat with. My mind was in so much of a daze that I wandered off to the third-year classrooms (A.K.A. the "seniors"). I'll be sure to tell Joseph about this when I call him after school let out.

"I could take you to your class," the male student spoke up, interjecting my thoughts.

I glanced back up at him surprised as my face returned to its normal color. "Are you sure you wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all," he spoke, with a small smile. "Anyway, I'm Kyoya Otori."

"Nice to meet you Otori-san," I spoke with a weak smile. "I'm Katherine Johnson."

Kyoya only smirked as he used his index fingers to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Well, Katherine-san, if you'll follow me, I'll escort you to your first class."

With that, Kyoya walked passed me and down the hall I came from a minute ago. Without hesitation, I followed after him until I caught up to him. We didn't speak much, mainly since I was still a little nervous and embarrassed about what just occurred, but I would ask him about how this school was and any suggestions on how to survive the first day. Once we made it to my first class, which was Science, I thanked Kyoya before he turned and left for his classroom. I felt rather guilty that I had to make him walk all the way down to the first-year division when he himself could be late for class. Well, he was a rich kid, right? So he could get out of anything . . . right?

Letting go of the entire "wrong division" situation, I opened the door and stepped into the classroom, ready to begin my day here at Ouran. Science was rather simple, since it was one of my easiest and favorite classes. Like every first day, the instructor lectured on how the class would go for the rest of the semester; just a new chapter in the book every other week. Flipping through the pages, I found that each chapter was quite lengthy, and I wasn't much of a speed reader. After school, I'd figure out how to balance everything in my weekly schedule.

I didn't know anyone in that class. There was no Haruhi, twins, or Kyoya; but, I was sure that I would eventually make some more friends and get used to some of them not always hanging around with me.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as the morning classes ended, followed by the school bell, I traveled to the cafeteria for lunch. Only when I entered, I found that the cafeteria wasn't much of a cafeteria; in fact, it looked more like a large, banquet hall. There were rows of tables laid out in the room with long, silk white table cloths draped over them. Female students were sitting together at one table while boys were at the other. Some of them, I presumed, were clubs.

I knew that as the school year would progress, cliques would form and the groupies would sit with each other at a table. At least, that's what I've heard occurs in school; of course, those happened in typical schools near towns, and since Ouran was a private school for the rich, there was a lower chance of cliques to form . . . hopefully. When cliques form, there would always be outcasts. Besides, I've already made a few acquaintances today, so I was sure that if I kept it up, I would do just fine.

I walked around for a while, with my lunch on the tray trying to locate a spot; until I heard a familiar voice call out, "Katherine, over here!"

Turning around, I found Haruhi sitting by herself at a partially empty table. She waved to me, gesturing me to come over, with that smile on her face. Even though we just met that morning, I could tell that Haruhi and I would become close friends. We were alike in some ways, especially since we were both scholarship students.

I smiled back, and then I walked over to the table. "Hey, Haruhi," I replied, taking a seat across from her.

"Hey," she replied. "So, how is your first day so far?"

"It's been good," I replied. I picked up my utensils and began my lunch. "By the way," I continued, after swallowing. "What was with the twins? I mean, they seemed to be flirting with you."

"Oh, they're always like that," Haruhi explained, annoyed. "Even outside of the club."

"They're in the club with you?" I inquired.

Haruhi nodded.

"Interesting," I spoke. "I guess it gets a little hectic for you during then."

We both chuckled, and then we continued our lunch. Haruhi had brought a bento, which was a like a Japanese lunch box, which I thought was a neat idea. I at first thought that you had to buy the lunch at school, but maybe not. It seemed like a cheaper way to have lunch, so I should probably begin taking one to school.

After a while, I brought the napkin up to my mouth to dab off the soy sauce. "That's a nice bracelet," I heard Haruhi speak.

I set the napkin down, and looked at the wristlet adoringly. "Thanks," I spoke. "My brother bought it for me." I held out my hand to her, while she held it, turning it to look at each individual charm. "Since he's miles away now, this is all I have to remind me of him while I'm here. I usually get a new charm whenever I visit someplace new."

"Maybe by the end of the school year, you could buy another one to add to it," Haruhi spoke.

I smiled, but then the twins walked up to us. "Well, I see that your preparing yourself for hosting hours, Haruhi," Kaoru teased.

"Maybe you can use your new friend to help you practice some new tricks," Hikaru added slyly.

Haruhi and I glanced from then, looked back at each other, and then we drew our hands back underneath the table, blushing and looking away in embarrassment. The Hitachiin twins only laughed at us, and then Hikaru leaned onto the table, with his hand on the top, supporting him, and then he cupped my chin in his hand when he turned my head to face him. I was sure that my cheeks began to flush an even brighter red when I came face to face with him. He smirked, with a wild look in his golden cat-like eyes.

"I'm starting to like you, new girl. You look striking when you blush," he spoke. "You should drop by the Third Music Room during club hours. I'm sure we'll have fun together."

I stared at him for a while, unsure of what he meant; but I knew that in a way he was hitting on me. I turned my head slightly, while looking over at Haruhi for help; but she was already occupied with Kaoru, who was giving her the same treatment. Remembering what Haruhi said about the two always behaving like this, I turned my attention back toward the devilish Hitachiin twin.

"I'm flattered by your offer, Hikaru," I spoke. "I'll think over it during the afternoon classes."

The spiky, red-headed student released me, and then he stood back up, with that same smile plastered on his face. "I sure hope you do," he spoke. "With you around, Haruhi will have her own day off from–" he stopped, as a thought ran through his mind. "Wait a minute, did you just call me Hikaru?" he asked.

"Um, yes," I answered.

"So, you can tell us apart then?" Kaoru added, standing back up and draping his arm over his brother's shoulder.

"Well, I did note a few observations after my first failure," I replied, with a small smile.

The twins smirked, and then they spoke together, "Clever girl."

"Well," Hikaru added, as they both began to turn around, "we'd best be off now." Before leaving, the two twins turned back to me, giving me identical, mischievous grins. "Hope to see you at the club, Katherine."

With that, he and his brother turned and walked away. I sat there in a daze wondering what in the world had just occurred. "Is it just me, or is Hikaru crushing on me?" I asked, more to myself.

"Nah, they're just still into character," Haruhi, explained. "It's what the club does, and they just so happen to be two of the hosts. Maybe you _should_ stop by later and check it out. That is, if you want to."

"I'll think about it," I spoke. "Anyway," I added, setting my scraps together on the tray, "thanks for allowing me to join you for lunch, Haruhi."

"Anytime, Katherine," she replied. "But, it's only been half an hour. So, what are you going to do for the rest of lunch period?"

"I don't know," I replied. "Maybe I'll go and study in the library."

Then I noticed a small smirk spread across her face. "Well, good luck," she spoke.

"Thanks," I answered, standing up and slinging my book-bag over my shoulder.

I was unsure of what she was smirking about, but I didn't let it bother me. After scraping my lunch remains in the trash and setting the plates and silverware on a shelf, I turned and exited the cafeteria. I traveled down the halls to each library; but when I opened the door just slightly, I saw some students chatting away . . . in a library! Is this what Haruhi meant by "good luck"? Maybe the same thing happened to her during her first year here, so it would be no wonder why she would wish me luck on finding a quiet place to study.

As I traveled down the halls I found more and more students chatting away in the other three libraries. Well, it would be their fault if they didn't graduate. I mean, they seemed to take school as if it were some kind of joke. Most of the students must be the boastful, spoiled rich kids thinking that they can get away with anything. All they care about is how rich they will become after they inherit their family's fortune.

Anyway, there was always a substitute I could come up with. Descending the staircase, I traveled out of the school and into the garden. There were rose bushes extending miles and miles along the walls of the garden, much like the ones from the Queen of Heart's garden in "Alice in Wonderland". There were white roses, red ones, and pink ones as well. Luckily, I found a stone bench just underneath a sakura tree, at a perfect angle from the rows of rose bushes and the pond of koi fish in the distance. Seating myself on the bench, I set my book-bag to the side and then drew out my sketchbook and a pencil. Using my left arm as a support, I began to draw the structure of the scene before adding the details in.

Since I could see the face of the clock tower, I checked every so often to make sure that I wouldn't lose track of time. If I was late for a class on my very first day, it would look bad on my record. I was unsure of how receiving my first tardy would feel; but one thing was for sure, was that I had to pack up everything and head back inside five minutes before the ball rang.

It had only been ten minutes, and I just finished lightly sketching the outline of the scene. I was so into drawing the garden that I failed to notice a figure walk up to me, until it spoke, "Fancy seeing you out here," the voice spoke.

Startled, I quickly looked up to find Kyoya standing beside me. "Oh, Otori-san," I spoke. "I didn't hear you walk up."

"Too distracted by the scenery?" he asked.

I smiled slightly. "Are you sure you're not psychic?" I joked.

He only chuckled. "No, not that I know of," he replied. "Anyway, would you mind if I sat down?"

"Oh, no, not at all," I spoke, moving my book-bag off the seat and onto the ground beside me.

I scooted over to make some more room while Kyoya sat down beside me. He adjusted his glasses, and then he turned to me. "So, why did you decide to come out here?" he inquired.

"Well, I was trying to find someplace to hang out for the remainder of lunch," I began, "but all of the libraries in the school had somehow changed to social meetings. None of them were quiet enough. I'm more of an outdoors person anyway, so I found a spot out here to take in the scenery."

"I see," Kyoya spoke. "Do you enjoy sketching landscapes?"

"Huh? Well, actually, I enjoy drawing anything," I answered. "I told my friends that I would draw the scenes of this place so that they could get a glimpse of what it was like here."

Kyoya smiled. I guess he believed my somewhat truth. Besides, I couldn't fully trust Kyoya yet; I mean I just met him this morning. He may seem like a nice guy, but I would have to get to know him better before I could share any secrets with him.

"I must say that you're a very exceptional artist, Katherine-san," the black-haired student commented.

"Thank you," I spoke. "It's not finished though, and I doubt I will have time to before the fourth period bell rings."

"Speaking of which," Kyoya spoke, standing back up, "I myself must prepare for my next class." Before he began to walk away, though, he turned back to me. "By the way, you haven't signed up for any social activities at the end of the day, have you?"

"Not yet," I answered, flipping my sketchbook closed. "I think I should get used to my classes first before getting involved in activities."

"A wise strategy," remarked the black-haired student. "Since it is your very first time here, I would recommend the Host Club as a start."

I stared at him perplexed, and then I repeated, "The . . . Host Club?"

Kyoya nodded. "It's only been around for a few years, but it's one of the most popular clubs in the Academy. Basically, there are male hosts who entertain female guests, and cake and tea is served. In a sense," he added adjusting his glasses again, "it's a way of socializing and relaxing after a long, tedious day's work during school."

I thought about it for a while, and then I glanced back up at Kyoya, and added, "I'll think about it. Where is it held?"

"The third Music Room," he replied.

_The third music room_, I thought to myself again. Where had I heard that before? Suddenly, I realized that Hikaru was talking about meeting me in the third Music Room for a club. Maybe he was talking about the Host Club; if so, then maybe, he and Kaoru were both hosts there. And since they were in the same club as Haruhi, she was no doubt that she was a host there as well.

"Well, I hope to see you then, Katherine-san," Kyoya continued.

With that, he turned and began walking back to the Academy building. I sat there for a while gazing at the garden before me, and then I set my sketchbook inside my book-bag, and then I slung the strap over my shoulder before standing up and walking back to the building. I took a while to find the Mathematics class, but I managed to find it without Haruhi or Kyoya around to escort me.

Both Math and Japanese History flew by fast, maybe because I wasn't as tired as I was that morning; plus, I was more into learning about the History of Japan, and Math was an easy subject. Even though the problems in the text book were filled with numbers as well as lower case letters, I slipped through it like a breeze.

Throughout both classes, I began to ponder on whether or not I should attend the Host Club, especially on my first day here. Well, I thankfully didn't have that much homework, and I was feeling a little stressed out from the classes, especially after what had happened in first period. Being "entertained" by male hosts sounded interesting, but what did Kyoya mean when he said "entertained". I knew that it couldn't possibly be the kind of entertaining like sexual harassment or somewhere close to that, because the boys I have met so far were all gentlemen. Maybe it was just a club where the boys would flirt with the girls, like how Hikaru was doing to me during lunch. Well, there was only one way to find out for sure.

As soon as the dismissal bell rang, I exited the classroom with my books in my bag. If the Host Club was simply a relaxing, social activity, then I would be able to forget about my homework and enjoy the afternoon. I walked down the hall trying to locate the third Music Room. Strange how I was the only one in the hall; but then again, everyone must've been off socializing, probably in the libraries again.

Soon, I stumbled upon a door. Glancing up at the Japanese sign, I read it: Music Room 3. This had to be it. Standing in front of the door, I pressed my ear against it, only to find that everything was quiet. I presumed that I must've been early, but I went on ahead and opened the door. Flower petals gently fluttered from the room as if I were opening the door to a spring garden.

"Welcome," chorused a group of voices in perfect unison.

* * *

**Yays! Another Chapter finally finished!**

**Yeah, I know . . . This chapter was, like, a WHOLE LOT longer than the first.**

**So, now that Katherine is going to attend the Host Club for the first time, who will she designate as her host?**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed Chapter 2 of my Ouran Fic: "Fitting in"**


	3. Meet the Host Club

**Hey everyone!**

**Hope you've enjoyed the story thus far, because now it's time for the third chapter of my fanfic!**

**Hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club**

* * *

**~ Chapter 3 ~**

**Meet the Host Club**

I stood there speechless and out of nervousness. There were six male students in the room. Three of them, I recognized, were Kyoya, and the Hitachiin twins, Kaoru and Hikaru. There was also a lean, tall, tanned skin boy with short, spiky black hair. He had dark gray, practically black, eyes, and owned broad, strong shoulders. Beside him was a small boy with golden blonde hair. For a high school student, he seemed rather young, especially since he clutched onto a pink stuffed rabbit. In the midst of the group sat a lean boy with fair skin and neatly combed blonde hair, sitting on a regal, golden throne with red cushions. He had dazzling sapphire colored eyes, and he also held a blood-red rose in his hand.

"A new face to the club, I see," the blonde one spoke. Then, he leaned forward, holding out his hand, with a subtle smile on his face. "Come in, my princess," he added. "There's no need to be shy."

_Did he just call me his . . . princess?_ I pondered. Was this what Kyoya meant by "entertaining" the maidens? Well, at least it was mostly sweet-talk and flirting, and nothing too harassing. Not knowing what else to do, I slowly slid into the room, allowing the door to close behind me. I stood there for a few moments unable of what to say; but then, the blonde haired boy stood up from his throne.

"My, aren't we the timid little one," he spoke, walking over to me.

Once he was right in front of me, I just had to stare up at him. He was just as tall as Kyoya was, and he sure was handsome! In fact, all of six them were handsome young gentlemen; well, except the smallest one. He was actually cute and childlike.

Then, the blonde-headed student took my hand in his and knelt down with his head bowed as if I were royalty. "There is no need to be so shy, my fair princess. I am your loyal subject, Tamaki Suoh," he spoke. Then, he glanced back up at me, "And what is the name of the beautiful maiden I'm addressing to?"

I stammered to answer, intimidated by his good looks. Eventually, I was able to bring my voice from my throat. "K-Katherine," I replied. "Katherine Johnson."

"Ah, such a lovely name for a lovely young maiden," Tamaki spoke. "My dear, out of all the ladies in this Academy, you are the fairest and most unique of them all."

"Um, thank you," I answered.

"My pleasure," Tamaki spoke. "Now," he added, standing up, and draping an arm around my shoulder, "As a new student, as well as a newcomer to the Host Club, I'm wondering, what is your type?"

I stared up at him as I raised an eyebrow in confusion, and then I asked, "My . . . my type?"

Tamaki nodded. "In other words, what type of man interests you most," he clarified, walking me over to the rest of the group. "Do you favor the strong, silent type?" he asked, gesturing over to the tall, tan boy with dark hair. "Or, perhaps the cool type," Tamaki added, indicating Kyoya. "Maybe, you prefer the boy Lolita?" he spoke, pointing to the small member of the club. "Then there's the mischievous type," continued the blonde referring to the twins. ". . . Or maybe," he began, leaning towards me, with his hand under my chin tilted up to meet his face, "Her majesty would be more interested in 'the prince-type'."

"Um . . ." I began looking away slightly. "Gee, there are so many types to choose from." I turned my attention back to him, "I guess I'll have to try them all before I pick out my favorite."

Tamaki stood back up straight and smiled down at me, "I like your attitude, Katherine-san."

"Uh . . . thanks," I answered. "And . . . and you can call me K.C. if you want."

"All right then . . . princess K.C.," Tamaki spoke with that charming smile on his face.

I smiled back, and blushed a little bit. Tamaki seemed so kind, but a little overdramatic. And, since each of the boy here had different "types" there would be an entire variety of boys to choose from. I've never really been interesting in boys, mainly because I never went to school; nevertheless, since I was coming to the age where I would begin having my first crushes, I might as well get started.

"K.C.-chan!" cried a little voice.

When I turned back, I almost fell over from the impact. The little boy member of the club had jumped into my arms and threw his arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. It took my brain a while to process what had just occurred; but I eventually ended up giggling along with him, and then I set him down on his feet, kneeling down to his level.

"So, you must be the Lolita type. What's your name?" I asked.

"My name is Mitsukuni Haninozuka," the little boy replied, holding his hands behind his back and rocking back and forth on his heels. "But, everyone calls me Hunny. And this," he added, pulling out a pink, stuffed rabbit from behind his back, "is Usa-chan."

"Aww, he's cute!" I remarked, patting the little stuffed animal's head. "Would you mind if I held him for a while?"

"Only on one condition," Hunny spoke sweetly.

"What's that?"

"You hang out with me and Takashi for the rest of the club hours."

I smiled at his child-likeness. "It's a deal."

"Hooray! We're going to have so much fun, K.C.-chan!"

With that, Hunny threw his arms around me again, clinging like a small child. Since he was the Loli-shota type, I presumed he was in high school, even though he looked like he should be in elementary school. But the kid was such a cutie! How could I say 'no'? His looks just were too much for me to resist.

Suddenly, the door opened as a voice spoke, "Hey, everyone, sorry I'm late. I–" At that point we all looked over to find Haruhi standing there. After seeing me, she smiled. "Oh, Katherine, glad you could make it," she spoke. "I see you've already met the rest of the Host Club."

"We just got finished with introductions," I replied.

Haruhi only giggled, and then she walked over to the rest of the group. "I see Hunny-senpai has grown quite a liking to you."

"You have to admit that he is a little cutie-pie," I spoke.

After a few moments, other female students began to flood the third Music Room, and the hosts brought their clients to their stations, while I followed Hunny and Takashi, who was the tall, spiky-haired one, to their station, along with two other girls. Hunny sat on the velvet-red sofa in between me and another girl while Takashi, who was nicknamed Mori, sat on the opposite sofa. There was a fancy china tea set in the center of the table with cups and saucers for each of us. Since I didn't know much about the hosting thing, I sat back and allowed the other girls to begin.

"So, Hunny, how was your vacation?" inquired a girl with long, auburn hair.

"It was fun!" cooed the Lolita boy. "Takashi and I stayed in Yamagata in March, and it snowed every day!"

"Did you two play outside a lot?" asked another girl with short, jet-black hair with a white headband.

"Oh, yeah," Hunny replied. "Takashi and I built a giant fort all out of snow!"

I smiled down at him. Hunny sure was entertaining me, especially with his cute little child-like nature. He may be a high school student, but he was just delightfully irresistible! Of course, if I were to pick my "preferred type", I would have to visit each station this week. Today was Honey and Mori's day, tomorrow would be Haruhi's, and so on and so forth.

After taking a small sip of my tea, I glanced over at Mori. He was quiet throughout the entire time, but I guess that was why he was the "strong, silent type". He sure was good-looking too. His build reminded me so much of my older brother's; in fact, everything that surrounded me reminded me of Joseph, from the roses in the vases to the gentlemen hosts, and I began to miss my brother even more. I presumed that this was the homesickness beginning to kick in; but since I knew that it would eventually leave me after the first week, I tried to deal with his.

Mori noticed me staring at him, but he only gave me a grin. I blushed and smiled back before taking another sip of tea.

As soon as I set the tea cup onto the saucer, Honey spoke, "So, K.C-chan, do you like the winter time, or spring time?"

I gazed down at him, and smiled. "I'm not sure, Hunny. Honestly, I love all the seasons."

"What's your favorite part about the _winter_ time?" the girl with auburn hair asked.

"I'm not sure," I spoke. "To me, everything about it is fun from building snowmen to sledding down the hill. But," I added, closing my eyes, thinking about the time I had my very first Christmas with my brother, "I think that the best part about winter vacation is spending time with the ones you care about most."

We chatted for a while longer, even though the topics began with one of Hunny's many questions. He was cute that way, even with his little sweet tooth! I mean, he could scarf down a single piece of cake in one bite! Mori never talked much, but only a few words every once in a while. His deep voice was super hot, and his muscular build was a way to compliment it all! Even though he and Honey were much different, the two made an excellent pair.

It seemed that every host owned their own personality, or as Tamaki had put it: their "type". Each one of them seemed kind, and hard-working, especially in the club; also, they were all very handsome gentlemen. Mackenzie told me once that not every first boyfriend ends up being "the one", so I had to pick a back-up guy just in case the first one ever turned me down, or vice versa.

After a while, I wanted to explore around the giant clubroom, so I stood up and excused myself from Hunny's station before turning and walking away. As I by each station, I found that there were at least three or four talkative girls per host, especially the ones with Tamaki who would squeal every time he said something to one of them. Seriously, it's like he really was a king! He may be overdramatic at times, but he was like their knight in shining armor.

Hikaru was talking about something to one of his guests, which made Kaoru sit straight up in his seat before leaning back and . . . was that a tear? Did Hikaru say something that offended his brother? Before I could think of a reason, Hikaru suddenly embraced Kaoru, holding him close, probably apologizing for hurting his feelings or whatever he did. That, of course, mad the girls at their table squeal with delight. I just had to smile at that. It reminded me so much of how Joseph would comfort me whenever I was upset about something. Turning away from them, I continued to explore the large music room.

Haruhi just sat at a table with her clients having a regular conversation, which strangely made the girls start to sigh dreamily, Honey was munching down yet another piece of cake while Mori sat quietly like always, and as for Kyoya . . . Wait, where was Kyoya's station? Glancing around, I soon found him lounging in a fancy, velvet, red chaise, which matched the other velvet furniture. He held a black folder in his hands while writing what I presumed to be notes down in there. A calculator was set on top of the end table by his chaise, and every once in a while, he would tap a few buttons and then write down something on a piece of paper.

That was peculiar. I would suspect that Kyoya was a host as well since he was in the club, but did he not have any clients? Maybe no girls had requested him today, so he was relaxing and enjoying himself while the other hosts did their thing. He seemed rather busy calculating whatever it was, but I was still puzzled why he wasn't hosting.

Walking up to him, I stood by his side and spoke, "Hi, Kyoya-san."

He glanced up at my, and grinned. "Hello there, Katherine-san," he replied, sitting up from his reclining position. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, very much, thank you," I replied. "I never heard of a 'host club' until you recommended it to me, and it is as entertaining as you said it would be."

"Glad you're taking pleasure in it," he spoke.

"I just have to ask though," I began. "How come you're not hosting?"

"Well, you see, Katherine-san," he began, adjusting his glasses, "I may be a host myself, but I've been put in charge of the profits and organizing the gatherings and special events."

"Oh, so you're always busy holding all of this together then, huh," I spoke.

Kyoya nodded. "Sometimes I do my share of hosting."

"I see," I spoke, glancing out at the stations in the room. "You're always the one who holds the team together, even though you're working behind the set all the time."

"Yes, exactly," he replied.

"Well, everything has its pros and cons," I spoke, glancing back at him. "You may not get to entertain any clients; but you are constantly up to date with everything, making sure that all the other hosts are doing well, and how much profit the club gains or losses. Without you, there probably wouldn't even be a host club."

A wide grin spread across his face. "Those are some words of wisdom for a lady your age," he spoke.

I smiled as thanks, and blushed somewhat; but before I could say something else to him, I heard Hunny call out to me, "K.C.-chan!"

Turning back to the technical host club member, I spoke, "Well, it was great being able to talk to you again, Kyoya. Now if you'll excuse me," I bowed respectfully, "I must head back to my hosts."

With that I stood and turned back to Hunny's station. Kyoya, one of the most vital members of the host club, would only be a host himself every once in a while depending on how much work was to be done. One would think that he would host on his time off; but no, he spends the entire club hours making sure that everything from group meetings to profits were going well for each host. Kyoya was like a script-writer for a movie. Even though the actors were the ones in the movie, unfolding the story, the writer came up with everything and put the story together. I sure hoped that Kyoya was earning the credit he deserved.

The rest of club hours with Honey and Mori-senpai went well. We conversed more about the winter time and other seasons, and ate some more cake as well. Even when he had a dab of icing on his face, Hunny was just so adorable! I only ate one piece of cake, since I didn't want to spoil my dinner for later.

As soon as hosting hours were finished. The ladies thanked their hosts for a wonderful time, and then left the room. I followed as the sea of yellow traveled out the door, but I glanced over my shoulder while passing by Kyoya to find that he was at a table typing away on a laptop. He didn't keep his eyes off the screen for one second; but, that just goes to show how hard and diligent one must work to maintain a club.

Traveling through the halls and down the stairs, I made my way out of the school building and down the sidewalk to my apartment. First day of school went well, even though it started out a little difficult. The one thing I enjoyed most about my first day was that Host Club. It sure was relaxing to chat with the Hunny and Mori, even though Hunny did most of the talking. I would definitely return tomorrow to the club, if I didn't have too much homework. Besides, I had to keep my word to Tamaki about trying out all the hosts before picking out my "preferred type."

Once I made it to the apartment complex, I ascended the staircase to my room. Unlocking the door, I walked in and turned on the lights. After closing the door and locking it, the first thing I did was slip off my shoes and travel to the kitchen to fix some dinner. I wasn't that hungry, since I had a slice of cake during club hours. Afterwards, I traveled to my bedroom and pulled out my pajamas for the night. After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I set my uniform back on a hangar and set it in the wardrobe. I had only worn it one time today, so it wasn't really filthy.

Hopping on top of my bed, I hoisted my book-bag up from the floor and set it down beside me. Every incomplete work was written down in a schedule, so that I would remember to finish it once I was back in my apartment. First, I wanted to complete the more challenging subjects so that I wouldn't be up all night trying to figure it out. I organized each assignment for each subject out depending on the difficulty rating, the hardest, and/or most unfinished homework, being the first. Of course, I had to squeeze in a time where I could call my brother, so I presumed that I right after I finished Math, I would give him a call.

Science only took about forty-five minutes, since it was just writing down notes from the first chapter; but I had to use the Japanese to English dictionary that I bought for some of the translations that I couldn't remember. As for Math, all I had to do was one lesson from the text book. After that was finished and set to the side, I slipped out my cell phone off the end table, and then I dialed the home phone number. The phone rang a few times as I patiently waited for my brother to answer.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Joe," I spoke.

_"Hey, K.C.," _he replied. _"How was your first day?"_

"It was a little challenging at the start, but I got through it alive," I joked. "If only you knew how glad I am speaking English again."

My brother chuckled. _"Well, you'll get used to it. Have you made any new friends yet?"_

"Just a few."

_"That's good. Are you in any of their classes?"_

"No, most of them are second-years. I'll admit that I was kind of shy at first, but they all turned out to be okay. So far, I've only made one friend who is a girl, named Haruhi, who's really helped me feel at ease in this school."

_"She sounds like a nice girl."_

"She is, very. And then there's Kyoya. He's very mature, and smart. Also, there are these twins, exactly identical too! They're names are Hikaru and Kaoru, and they're really sweet and little pranksters. Then there's this one I met named Hunny, which is what everyone calls him. I can't remember his real name. Anyway, he's rather short and childish for his age, but he's just so adorable! And then, there's his friend, Mori, who's tall, muscular, but very quiet; however, he's nice too. Then, there's this other boy I met named Tamaki, who's very overdramatic, but gentle and kind. And that's all of them so far."

_"Wow, how many is that?"_

I held up my hand, as I counted my fingers, mentally saying each of their names. "Seven."

_"Not bad for your first day of school," _Joseph remarked.

"Yeah, I met Haruhi on the way to school. She lives in the apartment down the street from where I'm staying. I met the twins at the front gate of the school; and I met Kyoya after accidentally traveling to the third-year division," I sighed, as I landed on my back, exhausted from a long day. "But, I met all the others during club hours."

"_Sounds like you had one heck of a first day._"

"Yeah."

_"Well, now you get back to your homework, sis."_

"Okay, Joe. Love you."

_"Love you too."_

Afterwards, I hung up. That was close! Good thing that I was able to persuade my brother; if not, then I never would be able to see Haruhi, the twins, or anyone else in the club. Joseph was the type of older brother who was a little _over_protective, but I knew that he meant well and wanted to make sure that I was safe. I had to keep to my word though, so if anything _did _tend to get out of hand, I would leave immediately and never return. From what I experienced, the place was loads of fun and enjoyment, and all of the hosts there were proper gentlemen.

It sure was a good thing that I finished the trickier subjects which meant that completing the remaining work would be a breeze. I spent two hours finishing up homework and checking it to make sure I didn't have any errors; however, when it came to the easier subjects, I didn't have to check it as much because I knew it in my head.

As soon as I was finished with my homework, I checked my list just to make sure I completed everything. After seeing that everything was checked off, I placed all my books back into my book bag, and then I closed the long, velvet curtains and climbed into bed. I glanced over at the clock to find that it read: 8:56 pm, and I sure was tired. It would all begin again tomorrow though, so I lay down and dreamt of the time I had today.

Kyoya was a very nice gentlemen, all of the hosts were, especially Haruhi. Each one of them had their own personality. Haruhi was sweet and honest, Tamaki was romantic but a little melodramatic, Mori was a man of few words, Hunny was a little ray of sunshine, the Hitachiin twins were mischievous devils, and Kyoya was an intelligent and hard-working host. He must've been the president, since he organizes events and everything together.

Well, tomorrow was the beginning of the new day, so I wanted to make the best of it; and now that I knew where my classes were, I wouldn't have to worry about wandering into the third-year division again! The Host Club was definitely something that I wanted to do again; and I decided to request Haruhi as my host for tomorrow, and then after that it would be the twins, and then finally Tamaki. I had a feeling that Tamaki would be an interesting host, since he made the girls squeal so much. He had such a gentle touch, gorgeous blue eyes, and gleaming blonde hair. I could only imagine what having him as a host would be like.

Before I even knew it, my eyes slowly closed and I fell asleep.

* * *

**Yay! Another Chapter complete!**

**So, how did you guys like this one?**

**Yeah, it was hard trying to figure out who K.C. would request; so since it was her first day, I wanted her to start off with an easy Host, which was either Honey and Mori or Haruhi. I just had to pick Honey though, since Haruhi already had a few parts in the story. So, yeah . . .**

**Oh, and btw, it does snow in March up in Yamagata. I checked.**

**Anyways! Hope you guys liked it!**


	4. Family Matters

**Two Chapters in one day . . .**

**I've just had the story laid out and HAD to publish it!**

**C'mon I didn't want you guys waiting around for the next one to be published.**

**Anyways, here's the fourth Chapter!**

* * *

**~ Chapter 4 ~**

**Family Matters**

I was awakened the next morning by the buzzing of my alarm clock. Wearily reaching my hand over, I switched it off and sat up in bed. I would eventually become used to this daily routine; but since I was now in Japan and attending Ouran Academy, there would be no need to appear weary on a fine day like this. Opening the curtains, I saw the sun rising over the horizon, warming the sky with a pinkish glow. Afterwards, I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and then I peeled off my pajamas and slipped into my uniform. After fixing up my hair, I pulled it back into a ponytail and tied a black ribbon around it this time. Checking to make sure I had no wrinkles in my dress, I turned around, glancing at myself in the mirror a few times. Then, I picked up my wristlet and latched it around my wrist. Afterwards, I picked up my book bag, making sure I had everything I needed for first period, and then I walked out of my dorm room.

Yeah, it was early in the morning, 7:15am to be exact, and it only took about fifteen minutes for me to walk to school. But, I just couldn't keep the smile off my face as I hummed a little tune while walking down the sidewalk. Sure, I was timid and clammed up yesterday, but, it seemed, after visiting the Host Club, everything had changed, and I couldn't wait to chat with Haruhi during hosting hours.

Speaking of the female host, she was probably just getting ready to leave her apartment; however, I was already halfway to school. As much as I would miss talking with her on the way to Ouran Academy, I still had the Host Club on my mind. Each one was good-looking and unique in their own way, so it was really difficult to decide who I preferred more. Well, I had only requested Hunny and Mori so far, which made five left to try out, and Haruhi was next on the list.

Once I strode through the golden school gates and up the stairs to the door, I was about to turn the handle to step inside. But suddenly, a hand grabbed the handle before I did, while a calm, male voice spoke to me, "Allow me to get that for you, princess."

As the mystery man opened the door, I glanced up to find the blonde-haired boy from the Host Club gazing adoringly down at me with a calm, but charming smile. I returned his with my own as I stepped into the building, Tamaki follow after me.

Then, I turned to him. "Arigatou, Tamaki-senpai."

"No problem at all, my dear," he spoke. "You're off to class early, I see."

"I guess it is a little early," I spoke, as my cheeks tinted a pink color.

"Well, then, you wouldn't mind if we stride around the school together and chat?" the prince-type inquired. "It's just that we didn't get to talk much yesterday during the Host Club."

I stared at him for a minute. Of course I knew how to get to my first class since Kyoya showed me the way, but Tamaki did have a point that I didn't speak with him much. Plus, Tamaki had most likely planned out his own route through the school, so that by the time classes would begin, we'd already be at the door to my first class.

So, I decided to take up on his offer. "I'd like that very much, thank you."

After I said that Tamaki and I walked down the hall together. Even though I knew my way around the first-year division, I lagged a little behind Tamaki whenever we turned a corner to make it seem like I was the confused newbie of the school. He would only smile at me once I caught up to him.

"So, Katherine wasn't it?" he asked.

"Yes," I answered. "But, you can call me K.C. if you'd like."

Tamaki raised an eyebrow as he stared down at me. "K.C.?"

"My... friends call me that," I spoke. "I'm fine with either that or Katherine though."

"I like the way K.C. sounds. It's very unique."

I smiled as thanks, and blushed a bit.

"I'm curious, but what does your family do?"

I nearly froze when he asked that. Obviously he was inquired what kind of company my parents owned, or something like that. I couldn't admit the truth to Tamaki about being a "commoner" like Haruhi, so I had to think of an excuse; more of a white lie than a full-blown one.

"Well, my parents are millionaires," I replied. "I don't see them much though… They're…" I paused to think of a quick excuse. "They're overseas most of the time."

"For pleasure or business?" inquired the blonde.

"Business, I guess," I answered. "Sometimes I think it's both."

"I see."

There was silence for a few minutes, and we didn't say another word to each other. As we walked onward, I could tell that we were coming closer to the classroom, but I didn't converse with Tamaki much the entire way there. I was still nervous since he was the only host that I didn't know much about; plus, he was so enchanting just like a prince! He was a few inches taller than me; actually, he was about half a foot taller than I was. But, height was something I always had an issue with, so I let it slide.

"Are you always this quiet, K.C.?" he asked.

"Well, not always," I admitted. "I mean, I am a first-year after all, so I'm still kind of nervous."

"There's no need to be," Tamaki spoke sweetly. "None of us are going to hurt you. We hosts entertain our ladies and make sure they feel welcome and comfortable." With that he held out the rose he was holding earlier, and I stared at the flower, and then gazed up at the club president. He only smiled down at me. "For you, my princess," he spoke.

I smiled back up at him. "Thank you, Tamaki-senpai," I spoke, accepting the rose from him. As I gazed down at him, I sighed. "You know, every time I see a rose, it always reminds me of my older brother."

"Oh?" Tamaki asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded in reply. "He was a charmer that way," I explained.

Tamaki only chuckled. "Well, if he were in _this_ school he could be our eighth."

I smiled. Apparently, he didn't realize that I already knew that Haruhi was a girl, but I decided not to mention it for her sake as well as the host club's sake. My mind was still on each of the hosts. Every one of them was charming, so it was hard to pick who I adored more. Since Kyoya wouldn't have the chance to host any customers every day, there would be times where I would like to request him, but he was too busy. I let it slide though knowing that there would be some point where we could have some time alone.

As soon as we reached the door I stopped. "Well, this is my first class," I spoke. I turned to Tamaki and bowed. "Thank you for escorting me, senpai."

"My pleasure, K.C.," he replied. Then, he caressed the side of my face and leaned his face in close to mine. "I'll see you at the club," he added.

After that, he stood back up and walked on down the hall. I stayed there for a while until I knew for sure that my face was back to its regular color and that my heart had steadied its pace. Afterwards, I opened the door to the classroom. Classes flew by rather quickly that morning, and I soon found myself, carrying my own bento into the lunchroom, where I found Haruhi sitting at a table with a few empty seat around her.

Smiling, I walked over to the table. "Hey, Haruhi."

The female host glanced up, returning my smile. "Hey, Katherine . . . or is it K.C. now?"

"Either is fine with me," I replied. "Anyway, would it be all right is I sat here?"

"Sure, be my guest," Haruhi answered.

With that, I sat in the chair across from her, and set my bento on the table in front of me.

"Ah, I see you've packed your own lunch today," Haruhi commented.

"Yeah, since I'm in Japan now, I might as well try out new things," I answered.

"Speaking of 'new things', what did you think of the Host Club?"

"Interesting. I might come back today. I mean, I still haven't chosen my preferred type."

"Well, since you'll probably be hanging around the host club every day to find your 'type' you might as well visit for the term," Haruhi spoke.

"Yeah, I guess I might," I agreed. "Of course, I don't want to risk my secret-"

But I was cut off by two voices speaking in perfect unison, "Hey, how's our favorite pair?"

Haruhi and I looked over to find the Hitachiin twins sauntering over to our table, with those cat-like smirks on their faces. They both stood beside us, Kaoru with me while Hikaru was beside Haruhi; and then Kaoru draped his arm around my shoulder while his twin mimicked him, only to Haruhi.

"So, what're you two chatting about?" Hikaru asked with that smirk still on his face.

"I was just in the middle of talking with to K.C. about how she liked the Host Club before I was rudely interrupted," Haruhi spoke, annoyed.

The twins only stuck their tongues out at her. "Speaking of which," Kaoru spoke, pulling me closer to him with that smirk spreading widely across his face.

"Which host are you going to pick today, Katherine?" Hikaru ended, coming up behind me and placing his hand underneath my chin, turning it so that I met his golden, cat-like eyes.

I smiled, and then I replied, "If I told you, that would spoil the entire thing. You two will just have to wait until this afternoon."

"Aww, you're no fun," the twins pouted, slightly sticking their lower lips.

"Good things come to those who wait, boys," I spoke with a smirk on my face.

"Well," Hikaru spoke, standing up. "We'd best be heading back to our table."

"It was nice talking to you though, Katherine," Kaoru ended.

"Nice talking with you guys too," I answered.

As soon as the twins left, Haruhi and I continued out chat. It was a good thing that I didn't begin talking about my whole secret, or else the twins would be all up in my case about it. Haruhi and I would definitely become quick friends, I could tell. Maybe after the school year, we could e-mail each other or become pen-pals.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The bell soon rang, and Haruhi and I went our separate ways to our separate classes. Like always, afternoon classes flew by in a breeze, which meant it was time for the Host Club. I had already made up my mind ever since the bell for lunch rang, and there was no hurry. The club wasn't going anywhere, so there was no reason why I should rush; plus, it felt strange yesterday since I was the first one there, but after the other girls arrived five minutes later, I was fine.

Once I met up with the other customers at the club, the doors opened as the rose petals flowed from the room. The familiar chorus of the Hosts saying: "Welcome, ladies," echoed out to the halls, as all of us walked in. The girls walked over to their requested host, most of which were Tamaki, while I glanced around the room. Kyoya, once again, was busy tallying up profits and whatnot, so he was not my option for today; so, to the twins it was.

Before I could take another step towards them, a voice spoke to me, "Katherine-san?" I turned to find Tamaki gazing at me adoringly, with a small smile that made his spotless, white teeth sparkle. He walked over to me, and took my hand, "Would you like to join me today?"

I stared at him as my face began to grow hot. Slightly glancing around him, I noticed that the girls who had flocked to him were glaring at me with piercing eyes probably because Tamaki had approached me and charmed me first before them. I didn't want to hurt the blonde host by saying "no", but I also didn't want to become the target of mean-girls.

"Sorry, senpai," I apologized, taking my hand from his. "Not today. Besides, you seem to have your hands full already." I smiled slightly, trying not to hurt his feelings.

Tamaki only stood up straight as he smiled back. "Of course," he spoke. "But, as a host, it is my duty to serve these beautiful maidens. So, until I receive your request, I bid you adieu, Princess Katherine."

With that he bowed, and then he turned to his swarm of customers, guiding them over to his station. A few of them glanced over at me with a smug smile on their face, and then turned back once they reached the red, velvet couches. I stared at them and sighed. I wish I could've chosen Tamaki, but I didn't want to make anyone jealous of me and become the main target. I didn't want to hurt Tamaki by rejecting his offer; but, he seemed to take it nicely anyhow.

"There's a surprise," a voice spoke from my right, interrupting my thoughts.

I felt an arm rest on the top of my head as another voice from my left continued, "I've never seen anyone turn down Tono, and he doesn't get upset."

I recognized the voice as the Hitachiin twins. "What happens when he gets upset?" I asked.

"He sulks in a corner for a while," the twins spoke simply.

"But, anyway, we have to know, Katherine," Hikaru spoke, taking my chin in his hand and turning it as he leaned his face into mine, as if we were about to kiss.

"Who are you going to request today?" Kaoru finished, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pressing the side of his face against mine.

My face began to flush as red as the velvet on the furniture. These brothers gave the phrase: "Double-Trouble" a whole new meaning, for sure! It may not have been the type of trouble as in crime, but these two can steal any girl's heart. In fact, nearly all of the boys here had a chance to win my heart. Of course, not every first relationship ends as the perfect one, so I had to have a back-up plan. Besides, these boys see most likely an average of ten or fifteen different girls nearly every week, so they couldn't possibly fall in love with any one of them; unless, there was something special about one of their customers. Well, every relationship has to start out as a friend, and I didn't know much about Tamaki or the twins, Mori would be hard to get to know since he rarely talks.

"Well," I began, with a smirk. "Since you guys are so desperate, I'll request you."

"That's our K.C.!" Kaoru spoke, standing up and patting me on the back.

"We're going to have fun for sure," Hikaru added, rubbing his hand on my head.

After that, the twins stood on either side of me as they walked me over to their station. I was surprised to find that there were only three seats set up, two of which would be for the twins. But, was I the only one that requested them? Either that or they planned on me being their only customer. Who knows what the twins had plotted in their mischievous minds?

Right when I was about to sit in the velvet-red chair, Kaoru pulled it back for me. I smiled and thanked him as I sat down, and then he joined his brother on the other side. Kaoru sure was sweet, just like my brother, but was Hikaru just as sweet? Well, I knew that I'd find out eventually.

"So, what do you guys like to do for fun?" I asked.

"Well," Kaoru began. "Since our parents are on business trips every other week, Hikaru and I come up with ways to entertain each other. We're the only ones we have anyway."

That hit close to home. Joseph and I were exactly the same way, he was the only family I had, and his parents didn't care about him or his feelings. We were the ones who looked out for each other, and Joe gave me the love I never received while I loved him back as well. My brother and I were always there for each other. Whenever I needed someone to talk to, he would always stop and listen, no matter how busy he was. He just wanted to make sure that I was feeling all right every day.

"Do you two play any games together?" I inquired, wanting to investigate the twins a little further.

"We used to make up some games," Hikaru explained, "but ever since Haruhi introduced us to the commoner games like kick-the-can and red light, green light, we've began to play those with each other. One time when we were playing kick-the-can, I was 'it' and had to look for Kaoru. Apparently, he had slipped and fell in mud while trying to find a place to hide." Hikaru covered his mouth with his hand, giving a small chuckle, and then he continued, "You should've seen how he looked."

Kaoru then sat up in his chair and glanced towards his brother both hurt and insulted. "Hikaru!" he exclaimed. "You promised not to tell anyone about that." He leaned back and looked away from his brother. "Why do you always have to be so mean?"

"I'm sorry, Kaoru," Hikaru spoke. Then, he took he turned his brother's face with his hand in his chin and Kaoru's teary, golden eyes met his brother's. "You just looked so cute and helpless. I apologize if I hurt your feelings."

"I... I forgive you, Hikaru," Kaoru spoke.

Now it all made sense. These two brothers may look alike, but their personalities were completely different. Kaoru was sweet, and more gentle natured, while Hikaru was more arrogant and protective of his brother. Those two were like yin and yang, a perfect match. That also reminded me of my brother. We may have looked a little similar, but our personalities were much more different.

I glanced down, thinking about life back home, but then Hikaru asked, "Is something wrong, K.C.?"

Glancing up, I found that the two of them had separated somewhat, and they both stared at me quizzically. I didn't want them to worry about me; besides, homesickness lasted a few days, so it would blow over soon. Of course, the twins, the hosts, the Academy, everything seemed to remind me of Joe.

"I was just thinking," I replied.

Hikaru scooted his chair around the table closer to mine, and then asked, "About what?"

"It's nothing really," I spoke, glancing away from him.

However, the second Hitachiin twin scooted over on my other side so there was nowhere for me to look away. "We want to know," Kaoru spoke, "and plus . . ."

"You're going to have to get used to us if you'll be attending the Host Club," Hikaru ended.

They had a point about that. If I were to stay in the host club for the rest of the school year, I would see them nearly every day whether I requested them or not, especially since they hung around me whenever I was with Haruhi. Either way, I was stuck with these two.

Releasing a deep breath, I replied, "It's just that seeing you two like this, makes me feel homesick."

The twins tilted their heads to one side, and then asked, "How so?"

Hearing the twins speak at the same time, especially so close to me, felt like I was in a room with surround sound. "Well, you see," I began, "my brother and I are the same way. We never see our parents, so we're always the one's looking out for each other. He's the only thing closet to family I have; and even though he's much older than me, we still stop to listen to each other about how we're feeling, no matter how busy we are." Tears began to fill my eyes, as I looked down not wanting the twins to notice the tears forming in my eyes. "Just seeing you two with your brotherly-love reminds me of how much my brother and I get along. And since we're so far away, he's one of the many people I miss most."

Tears began to streak down the sides of my face, but Kaoru caressed the side of my face with his hand and wiped my tears away. "There, there, Katherine," he spoke, "It's all right."

"You're with family at the Host Club," Hikaru added, stroking the back of my head with his hand.

I rubbed my eyes with my hand and looked back up at the two of them, who were smiling sweetly to calm me. Man, now that reminds me a lot about home! Of course, the twins were probably like that because they were gentlemen, having the same upbringing as Joseph. That's when I realized it. No matter what, I would see my brother every day in the eyes of the hosts.

Then, I thought about what Hikaru said. Was I really with family with the host club? At first I presumed that Hikaru was just saying that to make me feel better; but once I looked into his eyes once more, I saw the tender, sincerity. Obviously, he understood how I felt, because he would feel the same if he were miles away from Kaoru. Both the twins sure made me feel like I was surrounded by two older brothers who cared about me. Maybe having a partially rich life at home, and a rich family here wasn't so bad.

"Thanks, guys," I spoke, managing a smile.

"Anytime, K.C.," Hikaru replied.

"Whenever you need us," Kaoru began.

"We're there for you," they ended together.

I smiled, and then the two scooted their chairs back over to their area across from me. "Anyway," Kaoru began, "since you're new to the school and the Host Club . . ."

"Why not tell us about yourself?" Hikaru ended.

I stammered a bit. _Where should I begin?_ I pondered. _I don't want to tell them that I got here on a scholarship, or I will be the new "commoner" of the school._ Since the club members would refer to Haruhi as the commoner, there was no doubt why they would begin addressing me as one. I didn't want be made fun of at the beginning of the first trimester, so I had to think of something else to say.

"Well," I began, thinking. "As you've already heard, I have an older brother. Since I live . . . a few miles away, I miss him every so often. But, now that I'm making quick friends like Haruhi, and you two, I won't have that much homesickness."

"So, do you have any hobbies?" Hikaru inquired.

"I draw a lot," I replied. "Sometimes, whenever I want to be alone, I find a quiet place with amazing scenery just to sketch it."

"Interesting," Hikaru commented. "You should show us your drawings sometime."

"Well, they're not that perfect," I explained sheepishly while blushing, "I'm more of a rookie."

"So, what does your family do, exactly?" Kaoru inquired.

_Oh, great,_ I thought. _I had a feeling that they were going to ask something like that._ "Well, I'm not sure exactly _what_ they do, since my brother and I never see them much. All I know is that they're millionaires, and they keep the family line prosperous by arranging marriages with other wealthy families."

"Do _you_ have a fiancé then?" Hikaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not yet," I replied.

"It's clever how families bond their money together through arranged marriages," Kaoru commented.

"But it's sad for their children because they wish they could have the freedom to choose," Hikaru ended.

_True,_ I spoke in my mind.

For the rest of the club hours, I chatted with the twins more about the Host Club until hosting hours were finished. Once it was time for me to leave, I thanked the twins for a good time, and then I left with the rest of the girls. The host club sure was amazing. In fact, I began feeling like I was surrounded by family every time I went into the Third Music Room. Haruhi was like a sister, while the twins were like two identical older brothers. Hunny-senpai, even though he was a few years older than me, was like a cute little brother, while Mori-senpai was the strong, protective older brother. I wasn't sure what I would call Tamaki or Kyoya since I didn't know the two of them that well; but if Kyoya was busy again tomorrow, I would just have to request Haruhi or Tamaki.

As soon as I made my way to my apartment room, I fixed myself a bowl of rice for supper; and afterwards, I took a quick shower before sitting on the bed and busying myself with my homework. I was finished around eight o'clock this time, and then I double checked my agenda to make sure I completed everything before packing my books and binders into my book-bag. After that, I set the bag down in the chair at my desk before climbing into bed and lying down.

Thoughts about the hosts began to fill my mind, especially Hikaru and Kaoru. _'You're with family at the Host Club" _Hikaru's words continued to play in my mind. I was glad that I had a home-away-from-home, so now I wouldn't feel homesick every day. I still couldn't get the fact about the way Tamaki and the twins were acting today. If I didn't know any better, it seemed like they were trying to "woo" me. Of course, I hadn't chosen me "type" yet; so they were most likely trying to get me to choose them more often. Well, now that I knew all about their little plan, I would make it more difficult for them to persuade me. For now, I just had to get some rest for tomorrow.

* * *

**With three hosts left, will K.C. be able to make up her mind about her preferred type? Or, will she be stuck in the middle deciding?**

**Stay tuned for more of "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In"!**


	5. A Day with Tamaki Suoh

**Hey everyone!**

**It's time for yet another Chapter!**

**So here's #5!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club manga or anime.**

* * *

**~ Chapter 5 ~**

**A Day with Tamaki Suoh**

The morning classes flew by a little slower than they normally did, but I eventually found myself traveling to the cafeteria for lunch. The school sure was huge. With the lunchroom in the central part of the building while most of the clubs were in the southern part, anyone could get lost. No one was in the halls, but that was because it was already ten after, so they were most likely in that banquet-sized cafeteria. I knew my way around, so I'd eventually meet up with Haruhi later.

"Katherine-san!" a voice called out from behind me.

I stopped and turned to find the popular, blonde host walking up to me. I turned to him and spoke as he approached. "Tamaki-senpai? I assumed you would be in the lunchroom by now."

"I was," he replied, stopping in front of me, "but I wanted to make sure you hadn't gotten lost."

"Thank you, senpai," I spoke. "That was very thoughtful."

"You're welcome," he replied. Then, he smiled, "and you may call me Tamaki if you wish. Anyway, now that we're here, would you mind if I escorted you to the lunchroom?"

"Not at all, sen– I mean . . . Tamaki," I replied.

"Well, then, shall we?" he asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

We walked onward down the hall, but I was still too nervous to even speak to Tamaki. But, then I thought about everything that occurred yesterday. Was there really a competition to "woo" me to like the hosts? Possibly. But since Tamaki was so desperate, like how the twins were yesterday, I would choose him as my host for today. The way Tamaki approached me yesterday looked as if he wanted me to request him. If escorting me like this was a way to show that he wanted to spend time with me during host hours, then I wouldn't hurt his feelings by saying "no" again, no matter how much peer pressure I endured.

"So, K.C., are how is your first-year here at Ouran?" Tamaki asked.

"It's going great so far," I answered. "The Host Club has really helped me loosen up."

"That's good to hear," Tamaki remarked. "Speaking of which, have you discovered your 'type'?"

"Not yet," I answered. "It's really hard to decide."

"Well, take your time, Katherine," Tamaki spoke. "You'll eventually find the man who interests you most." Suddenly, Tamaki took my face in one had while he leaned his face close to mine as if we were about to kiss. "I'll be awaiting your request."

Then, he released me as we continued down the hall to the lunch room. I looked away from him for a while just until the pink tint faded from my cheeks. Out of all the boys I had to choose from, why did there have to be six? I would've been much happier choosing from two different ones. Well, it was only the first week; so once I got used to being around the Host Club, I'd figure out who my preferred type was.

Once we entered the cafeteria, I searched around for Haruhi; however, she was nowhere in sight, so I decided to find a table with an empty chair for the two of us. Suddenly, Tamaki took my hand in his and pulled me in a different direction. At first, I thought that we would go our separate ways and head to our own tables; but instead, he led me over to the table with the other six hosts. Then I began to think . . . maybe Tamaki came to invite me to sit with the club. That was it! Even though I would've preferred to sit with Haruhi alone, I was glad that I was being invited by the Host club to join them for lunch.

"Here we are, my dear," he spoke, pulling back a chair for me.

I took a seat and thanked him as he took his own seat on my left. Haruhi wasn't anywhere to be seen, so I presumed that she was running a little late as well. Across from me sat Hunny, munching away at a piece of strawberry cake, while Mori sat there silently, eating his own lunch while making sure that Hunny didn't consume too many sweets. Kyoya sat beside him, typing away on his laptop. The Hitachiin twins sat one seat away from me, which I presumed would be where Haruhi would sit.

As I picked up my chopsticks and began to scoop up my rice, Haruhi showed up. "Sorry, I'm late, guys," she spoke. "I had to stay after class for a while to help my Sensei." Once she reached her seat and noticed that I was with the group, she smiled, "Oh, hey, K.C.," she spoke. "Joining the host club for lunch?"

"Yes, Tamaki invited me," I spoke, as she took her seat beside me.

"That's nice," Haruhi said, setting her bento on the table in front of her. "That way you get to chat with all the hosts."

I smiled. I had only been at this school for three days, but it was great that I was building up relationships quickly with Haruhi and the rest of the Host Club. All the hosts in the club were kind, sophisticated young men; while Haruhi was a girl that I could relate to. She and I were probably the only commoners in the school; of course, since I hadn't told anyone yet, she was the only commoner that was known.

Why did I have to keep my life such a secret? Well, obviously, with only two commoners with a scholarship to the school against every one of the rich kids would quickly initiate peer pressure and become mean-girl targets. Of course, with Haruhi in the Host Club, she was popular amongst the female students, most likely because everyone thought she was a girl. If the students knew that I was a scholarship whiz-kid I'd be I didn't want to be the outcast, and I did _not_ want that to happen, especially not with the friendships I've already begun to build. I only told Haruhi because we both got to the school on a scholarship, but I couldn't tell the hosts. I'd probably try to make it last through the first trimester, and if any questions arise in the second half of the school year, I'd spill some information out to them. For now, I just wanted to make it through the first term.

"K.C.-chan," Hunny spoke up after a while, "would you like some cake?"

I gazed at him as he held a plate with a thin slice of strawberry cake. He had that adorable sweet smile, and his copper-brown eyes glistened as he gazed at me. With such a cute face, how could I say "no"?

"Yes, thank you, Hunny-senpai," I replied, returning his smile and taking the plate from him.

Then, I took a bite of cake, but stopped for a few moments to allow the flavor to linger on my taste buds. The cake was just perfect! Not too moist; and not too stale either! Plus the icing was creamy as well. This cake was the most scrumptious I've ever tasted. No wonder why Hunny would constantly devour slice after slice.

I swallowed, and then I spoke, "It's delicious."

"So, K.C.," Hikaru spoke, "Are you enjoying the host club so far?"

I swallowed the last bit of cake in my mouth before replying, "Yes. It's great, and it's amazing how each one of you owns your own personality that makes up the club. It allows the other girls a variety to choose from."

"That's the main idea of the club, my dear," Tamaki spoke, giving a smile and running his fingers through his hair. "Everyone has their own specific likes and dislikes of a certain type; so when Kyoya and I decided to form the club, we wanted to gather as many different types as we could, including our own. And, then the Ouran Host Club was born, with yours truly as the king."

"Interesting," I commented. "When Kyoya first mentioned the club to me and I got a good look for myself, I thought _he_ was 'the king', especially since he takes care of all the important things of the club like the finances and budget."

Suddenly, Tamaki's smile quickly faded, and in a split second he was huddled in a corner facing the wall. He sat with his back turned to us, and his knees were pulled towards his chest and his arms wrapped around them, while his head hung. There was a dismal aura around him as if he were in a deep despair or woe, and it amazed me how quickly he moved from the table to the corner in so little time.

Hikaru and Kaoru chuckled, and then smirked. "See what we meant?" they spoke to me in unison.

"Even though Tamaki-senpai was the one that came up with the idea of a host club, I'm surprised that you thought Kyoya was the one in charge," Haruhi spoke.

I didn't say anything to them though; instead, I kept my eyes locked on Tamaki in his "Corner of Woe". Just seeing him so depressed made me feel awful, especially since I was the one who said something that I probably should've kept to myself. Now that I had second thoughts, I should've caught onto that the past two days, so it was my entire fault that he was shadowed in despair.

Knowing the right thing to do, I stood up from the table and walked over to him. I got onto my knees by his side. "I'm sorry, Tamaki-senpai," I spoke. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings like this. I guess I just thought that Kyoya was in charge because I saw how hard he worked, and he organized everything for the club. Well, now that I think about it, I probably shouldn't have said what I said. So, I'll make it up to you."

Tamaki slowly turned his head towards me with big sparkling blue eyes, much like a pouty, puppy-dog face a toddler would give his parents; but when Tamaki did it, it looked ten times cuter. It was so hard to resist that I gave a small smile as we stared at each other for a few more seconds.

"How?" he asked, in a child-like voice.

I giggled. "Tamaki Suoh, may I request you as my host for this afternoon?"

Suddenly, in yet another split second, Tamaki made a miraculous recovery from his shadow of despair, and I found myself tightly grasped in his arms and twirled around in circles as he spun. Once again, I was amazed by how he changed emotions and moved so quickly in such a short amount of time; but, then I presumed that it must've been a guy-thing. I have known boys who could change moods quickly, but not as quick as Tamaki could.

"Of course, Katherine-chan!" he cried out joyfully, continuing to spin me around.

It was so loud that the entire students in the cafeteria ceased their chats from their friends and turned to face us. Even as my eyes spun around the room, I noticed some of the girls with envious looks on their faces, as their eyes narrowed to slits. I looked away in embarrassment, knowing that most of these girls were Tamaki's customers, and apparently, they were jealous that I was receiving more attention from "The Host Club King" than any of them received during club hours. Well, if Tamaki began to favor me, then they would just have to get used to it.

Suddenly, my stomach began to churn, and I began to feel sick. Obviously, Tamaki wasn't thinking when he picked me up and began to spin me around, especially since I had eaten most of my lunch. It was hard to speak, especially since every time I opened my mouth, I felt as if I were going to throw up. No matter what, I had to stop Tamaki from making me any more nauseous than I already was.

"Tamaki-sen . . . senpai," I spoke. "P-please stop. I . . . I feel . . . s-sick."

Thankfully, my wishes were granted and Tamaki set me on my feet. I teetered back and forth as I held my head with my hand. The entire room was spinning before my eyes, and my brain felt like it was sloshing around inside my skull. I blinked a few times, and shook my head, shaking the dizziness off.

"Sorry, princess," Tamaki apologized. "I didn't think you'd get sick easily."

"I didn't either," I replied, still holding my head.

As soon as I was balanced enough to walk, Tamaki helped me back over to the table. I sat down back in my seat between Haruhi and the Host Club "king", and I gazed down at the food in my bento. I had already finished off my sushi, so all I had left to eat was the rest of my fried rice. Just gazing at the fried grains covered in soy sauce made me begin to think of Tamaki spinning me around again and puking all my lunch back up again. Knowing that I had to finish up, I took my fork and scooped up some rice.

"Are you okay, K.C.-chan?" the Loli-shota inquired worriedly.

I looked up at him and managed a forced smile. "I'm fine, Hunny-senpai."

"I really am sorry, Katherine," Tamaki spoke. "I didn't mean to–"

"I already said it was fine, senpai," I spoke, turning to him with a smile still on my face. "Besides, we all do things without thinking sometimes."

Afterwards, everyone went back to their lunch and chatting every once in a while, as if the entire incident with Tamaki's "Corner of Woe" and me nearly hurling my lunch didn't occur. Everyone went back to what they were talking about, and the other female students, who were glaring at me earlier, had turned back to finish their lunches. I had a feeling that they were talking about me amongst their peers though.

Once again, I finished about twenty minutes early. "Well," I spoke, picking up my bento, "thanks for allowing me to sit with you guys. And thank you, Tamaki-senpai, for inviting me."

"My pleasure, Katherine-san," the club president replied. "But, it's still rather early. Why don't you stay for a while longer?"

"I'd love to," I spoke, "but I'm still new to this school. So, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to look around for a while."

"All right then," Tamaki spoke. Then he took my hand in his and gazed adoringly into my eyes. "I'll see you at the club this afternoon, my princess."

I nodded, and then he let me go. I turned and walked from the group, and then I made my way out of the cafeteria. Well, it was official. Tamaki would be my host that afternoon, and I had a feeling that I would have a dramatic afternoon with him and his other clients. Even now, I could hear the girls' excited squealing in my head as Tamaki enchanted one of his guests.

Making my way down the hall with my book bag strap over one shoulder, I glanced around, searching for a place to sit and sketch the scenery. Suddenly, I stumbled upon one of the music rooms, Music Room 2 actually. I slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open to find that the room was empty. Well, at least I didn't stumble upon another club. It would've been worse if I did _and_ ended up with the same fate as Haruhi.

The room was filled with instruments all organized in sections. The string section to the right of the room mainly consisted of cellos and violins while the wind section to the left contained instruments such as flutes and other sorts that I didn't know the names of. In the center of each section, but near the back of the room was an ebony, grand piano. I remember my brother saying that when he was being tutored in the mansion, he would practice the piano, and he eventually taught me when he bought that straight piano.

Silently sliding into the room, I stepped over to the piano and took a seat on the ebony, two-seater stool with a red-velvet cushion. I stared at the keys for a while hoping that I remembered how to play, and then I set my fingers on the correct spots. There was one song that I learned perfectly after months of practice, but I couldn't quite remember the name; however, I found my fingers press each of the ivory keys in the sequence of the song as if they were programmed to play it automatically. Eventually, I closed my eyes and pictured myself and my brother together playing the song. I played the higher keys, while he played the lower section; of course, since I was alone, I had to play both.

Once I finished, I sighed happily, thinking about my brother; but suddenly, I jumped when I heard clapping from beside me. "Bravo, K.C.!" a voice spoke, cheerfully.

Glancing up, I saw that it was the host king beside me, with that serene smile across his face. "Tamaki-senpai," I spoke, once he had finished clapping. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry, mademoiselle Katherine," he spoke, bowing at the waist, "but I heard the piano tune from down the hall, so I came in to see who was playing. I'm surprised to find that it was you. You play Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' very well."

"Thank you, senpai," I spoke. "It was actually the first song I learned to play."

Tamaki tilted his head somewhat in amazement, and then asked, "Really?"

I nodded in reply. "Of course, it took a few months to master it; but the tune is slow enough to memorize."

Tamaki smiled and nodded in agreement. "Do you know 'Elvira Madigan'?" he asked.

"Sort of," I spoke. "Some of Mozart's songs are tricky for me to play, so I usually stick with Beethoven."

"Well, then," the club president spoke, taking a seat on the stool beside me. "I guess I'll just have to teach you."

He slowly ran his hands down my arms, making chills run down my spine, until the met the tops of my hands. Gracefully, he set my fingers on the correct keys, and then he rested his chin on my shoulder so that the side of his head was against mine. My heart began to race because of how close he was, but it eventually decelerated after a while. Tamaki gently tapped on my fingers of the keys, and I pressed them down accordingly; and after about five minutes, I was running through the first few notes.

"You're a natural, K.C.-san," the host club king whispered gently into my ear.

I blushed and then replied, "Arigatou, Tamaki-senpai."

Suddenly, the bells chimed signaling the end of lunch and the beginning of the afternoon classes. Tamaki released me, and then I stood up and grabbed my book-bag with the strap over one shoulder. Afterwards, I turned to him and smiled.

"Thanks again, senpai, for everything," I spoke. Before turning around, I added, "I'll see you at the host club."

Then, I turned and walked out of the room to my next class. Like every other day, I sat at my desk and listened to the instructor while taking notes. Every other moment, my mind would wander back to Tamaki Suoh. He sure was handsome, and that charming serene smile reminded me so much of my brother's. Even though I knew that there would be tons of squealing and swooning girls at his station, I was rather excited to have him as my host for the day. Of course, I couldn't allow my daydream to keep me from listening to any important notes I should be jotting down, by my mind would subconsciously wander away from the lesson. Knowing that I had to keep good grades, I focused as much as I could on the teacher and decided to save the daydreaming before class would begin.

Afternoon classes soon ended, and I found myself yet again on my way to the Third Music Room. I was the only one at the door, yet, it was time for the host club to open for business. Presuming that I had arrived later than the other girls, I set my hand on the handle of the door, turned it, and slowly pushed it open.

I found myself in what I thought was Music Room 3. It was, for sure, but the interior décor had transformed into an Arabian palace. There were scarlet rugs with intricate gold designs on the fabric lying in the stations about the room. The corners of the room contained small, corner tables, each with a glass vase and floral centerpieces. The pillars and walls of the room were designed with lattices, especially along the ceiling molding of the room, and the archway above the door.

In the center of the room, of course, stood the hosts of the club, each of which wore different Arabian clothing. Haruhi wore a light blue robe, with a matching cloth draped upon her head, and she even wore gold earrings that hung to her shoulders.

Mori wore a red toga-like robe, revealing half of his chest. He had a golden band wrapped around his arm that extended to his elbow, while around his waist was a belt with a sword set in a hilt, and he had scarlet turban around his head. On each ear were three golden hoop earrings, each smaller the further up they were placed on his earlobe.

Honey was wearing a pale yellow, long-sleeved top with a dark green vest, and he wore puffy, dark green pants while his shoes that curled up at the toes stuck out from underneath. He also wore a pale yellow cloth wrapped around his head and neck so that only his face was revealed, and it draped over his back. Unlike Mori, Honey didn't wear any earrings or any jewelry.

Kyoya wore a lavender tunic with a Chinese-like collar that wrapped around his neck. He wore a dark blue robe over himself, and a matching turban was wrapped around his head. From his earlobes hung thin, hoop earrings with thin golden strands that hung from them. In his hand, he held a small, straw basket filled with every kind of fruit, such as bananas, oranges, grapes, apples, pomegranates, and any other fruit that would fit.

The twins wore somewhat of the same outfit, except Kaoru wore a golden vest, with his chest exposed and a golden sash that wrapped around his chest from his right shoulder to the left side of his waist. He had puffy orange pants, and a matching cloth that draped from the top of his head to his back and was held up by a golden string wrapped around his head.

Hikaru, on the other hand, wore a pale yellow, long-sleeved shirt with a golden vest. He also wore baggy pants, except his were light blue. He had the curled shoes as his brother and Hunny. Around his head was a blue cloth that wrapped around his head and sagged somewhat around his neck, while the rest of the cloth draped over his back.

And last, but certainly not least, the host club king, who was lounged in a royal chaise in the center of the group. From what he wore, he was obviously dressed up like and Arabian king or prince. He had a pale yellow undershirt with a magenta robe that extended all the way to his ankles, where his sandaled foot stuck out. A pale yellow cloth was tucked under a magenta turban and draped over his back. He wore a few rings on each finger, golden bracelets, and golden earrings. From his outfit, he looked more like a prince than he was before.

"Welcome," the spoke in unison.

"Ah, Kathrine-san, you're here early," Tamaki spoke with that subtle smile on his face.

"I didn't intend to be," I spoke apologetically, walking further into the room. I stopped and gazed around at the scenery once more. "I love what you did to the place," I commented.

"Arigatou," the club king replied. "Every once in a while the club chooses a cosplay as the club's theme for the day. This time, we chose to do a royal Arabian theme."

"Interesting," I spoke, still in awe at the room décor.

"Well then, my princess," Tamaki began, standing from his chaise, "the club is open, and I, your king, am ready to entertain you."

Apparently, he remembered everything that I had said at lunch, so he was obviously excited to hear that I had requested him for the day. As I thought more over it, tons of girls requested him every day, so why would he become so excited about _me_ requesting him? Maybe, he was eager because I was a newcomer to the Academy as well as the club, so he probably wanted to get to know me better. Who knows? Well, at least I would be able to get to know Tamaki-senpai better.

After a while, more girls began to enter the room gazing in awe at the setting of the room. The hosts took their clients to their stations, while Tamaki stood before me and three other girls, with that charmer smirk on his face, gazing adoringly at each one of us. However, I noticed that he directed his attention towards me more often than the others.

"I _love_ your outfit, Tamaki!" one brunette with a French braid spoke, gazing at him dreamily.

"Yeah, you look just like an Arabian Prince!" added another girl, who had raven-black hair pulled into two buns on the sides of her head.

"It was the least I could do to make my princesses feel more at home in their palace," he spoke. Then he leaned forward and caressed the brunette's face with his hand, and she began to blush. "Besides, every princess should be treated as royalty," he added, gazing into her eyes, and smiling.

"Oh, Tamaki . . ." she breathed.

I gazed from the two of them while the other two girls began to squeal and swoon. Yep, Tamaki was definitely a charmer, which reminded me of how my brother would gaze adoringly into Mackenzie's eyes, whenever he flirted with her. Every day their relationship was blooming, and I couldn't wait to return home one day and find Kenzie with a diamond wedding band on her finger. That would be a surprise for sure, even if I expected it to occur sometime or another.

After Tamaki released the girl, he led the four of us to his station, two long, velvet couches facing each other with a long wooden coffee table in the center. Of course, it would be considered more of a "tea table" rather than a coffee table. The raven-haired girl and the third girl, who had long auburn hair pulled back into a braided pony tail, sat on one couch; while Tamaki sat on the couch across from them with the brunette on his left side and me on his right. I was still a little nervous being around him, since he was so handsome, so I didn't talk much during the time.

After all, I considered it better to listen to people and hear what they had to say; however, just watching Tamaki flirt with the girls and lean in close to caress their faces reminded me so much of my brother. I could see a gentle, caring person in Tamaki, which was the exact same person who my brother was.

No matter where I was, I always kept my brother close to me. Now that I've met the host club, I technically have six older brothers here in Japan. Tamaki, the kind, caring one; Hunny, the childish part of my brother; Mori, the strong, but sometimes silent part (even though Joe talked a lot more than he did); Hikaru, the cunning prankster; Kaoru, the innocent side; and finally Kyoya, the smart one. All of the hosts bundled up into one package equaled my brother for sure; and even though I was hundreds of miles away from home, I still had my six sub-brothers here to take care of me. It was like Hikaru said: "You're with family at the club".

Suddenly, I was brought back into reality when I heard Tamaki speak, "Katherine-san?"

Startled, I glanced up to find not only him, but the other three girls gazing at me. My cheeks began to redden in embarrassment because not only had I not paid attention to what Tamaki was trying to say, but I had four pairs of eyes staring at me. I was so embarrassed that I couldn't speak. My shyness was beginning to kick in, and I felt like running and crawling under the couch to hide from the looks I was being given. That, however, would be the immature response to a situation like this; so instead, I took in a deep breath and released it.

"I'm sorry, Tamaki," I spoke with a small smile. "I must've been daydreaming, so I didn't hear you if you said something to me."

A small smile crept upon his lips as he gazed down at me. Then, he leaned towards me, until his face was inches away from mine, and he caressed the side of my face with his hand. My face was probably beginning to fluster up even more, especially now that he was so close to me. His charming handsomeness was just too much to bear, and I could feel my face grow even hotter every second.

His sparkling sapphire eyes met mine, and I could feel the warm, gentle breeze of his breath as he spoke, "I bet you daydream about many things. The mind is such a wonderful thing that we are given, allowing us to dream and fantasize about the wishes our hearts desire. Our minds are mirror images of our hearts." My face began to grow even hotter as he stroked his finger from my cheekbone to my chin. "I bet your mind fantasizes about the most beautiful things."

I could tell that the other three girls were shrieking over his romantic comments Tamaki was giving me, but I couldn't hear their excited squealing. I was lost in Tamaki's loving gaze, while the warmth of his hand lingered on my skin. Even after he released me, I could still feel that warmth, even as my face began to grow even hotter. I looked down hoping the other girls, or Tamaki wouldn't notice my blushing; and then I sipped my tea as the club king continued to entertain his female guests.

It was strange how the girls would ask such simple questions like "What is your favorite season of the year?" or, "How do you keep your hair looking so shiny?" The club president didn't even have to stop and think about the answer to that question. He simple improved the answer with some flattering remarks to the girls who asked the question. Even though I stayed silent for most of the club hours, I would ask Tamaki my own questions like, "Do you have any hobbies," or, "How long have you been playing piano?" Questions like that would help me get to know the club king better; and besides, I wanted to make as many friends at this school, no matter what the gender was.

As soon as hosting hours were through, the girls thanked their hosts for the time, and began to exit the room. Like always, I was the last to leave; however, I was stopped before I could exit through the door.

Tamaki's voice came from behind me, "K.C.?"

I turned and answered, "Yes, Tamaki-senpai?"

"I just wanted to say that, I enjoyed having you for the club hours," he spoke, walking up to me.

"Oh, well . . ." I began, unsure sure of what to say. "I enjoyed spending time with you, senpai."

I began to blush somewhat, and I was sure that the club president noticed; however he didn't say anything about it, and only smiled sweetly. "Anyway, thanks for stopping by," he spoke, "And, I hope to see you tomorrow."

I nodded affirming, and then I said my good-byes to the rest of the hosts before turning and exiting the room. Making my way down the hall, I walked out of the building, and headed down the sidewalk towards the apartments. After entering my room, I collapsed on my bed thoroughly exhausted. Day three was finished, but I still had the entire first term as well as the second and third to complete. School sure was tough.

Nevertheless, I completed my homework routine, and then I set all my books into my book-bag. After taking a quick shower, I hopped into bed and pulled the covers up to my shoulders. Snuggling down into the sheets, I sighed happily and smiled after what I had gone through today.

Aside from the classes, I was invited by the Host Club president himself to have lunch with the rest of the club, and I even received the chance for him to be my host when I had two other options: Haruhi and Kyoya. Of course, Kyoya was busy; and besides, after what occurred at lunch, I owed Tamaki-senpai. He sure was caring, especially when he touched me so gently the way he did, and it reminded me of the times when my brother would stroke or caress the side of my face. I just couldn't wait until tomorrow for another afternoon at the host club: Kyoya would be my next choice, but if he was too busy, I'd choose Haruhi. Sometime this term I would have to figure out my "type", but until then, I had to think it through . . .

* * *

**Phew! Finally finished with Chapter 5!**

**So, K.C. requested Tamaki . . . With only two hosts left, will she be able to figure out her type, or will she stumble with her choices?**

**Anyways, rate and reveiw guys!**

**And stay tuned for the next chapter of . . . "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In" !**


	6. Meet the Fujioka Family

**Hey, Ouran fans!**

**Okay, there's not much for me to say . . .**

**So . . . on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran yadda yadda yadda . . .**

* * *

**~ Chapter 6 ~**

**Meet the Fujioka Family**

The next day, classes ran smoothly, and Haruhi and I sat together at lunch, while the twins stopped by to chat with us for a few minutes. Even though I only got to see Haruhi during lunch and hosting hours, I wanted to designate her as my host for the afternoon. Of course, I wasn't sure if Haruhi had any other clients for today; but even so, we'd probably talk a while after club hours.

As soon as I found myself with the other girls at the doors of Music Room 3, I stepped forward as the sea of yellow dresses flooded into the room. The club was back to its normal state, so there wasn't any cosplaying this time. I didn't care whether the hosts were cosplaying or not; as long as I had someone to talk to, I would be fine.

Subtly glancing over my shoulder, I found Kyoya writing down notes in the black, finances notebook he had. Guess he wasn't hosting anyone today. Well, it was the first week of the first term, so he was probably trying to calculate and organize everything before he would host any girls.

Kyoya was hard for me to figure out his personality. He seemed to lay low on things, and he was rather mysterious, so I guess that's why he was dubbed the "cool-type". I could tell that he was very intellectual, especially by the way he spoke; so, with his genius mind, he could easily inherit whatever it was that his family owned. He calculated budgets easily, so if his family had a business dealing with mostly finances; he would easily, make plans for whatever it was that the businesses do.

I followed Haruhi to her station along, once again being the only one. Well, Haruhi was the Natural-type; plus, she was one of the newer members, so there would be no debate on why she didn't have that many clients today. Most of the girls I saw fawned over Tamaki, while the twins had the second most clients. I guess that the three of them had some kind of rivalry competition going on.

Once club hours were through, Haruhi asked me to stay a little while after to talk to me about something. "You see, K.C.," she spoke, as we sat together at the window seat. "I know it's only the first week, and you're still getting used to school and the Host Club; but, Kyoya's family is holding a beach trip to their villa in Okinawa in May, and I was wondering if you wanted to come."

I thought over that for a moment. I had only been to the beach once in my entire life, which was actually only two years ago. It was the greatest time of my life, sunbathing with Mackenzie, and collecting shark's teeth while the two of us walked along the shore. Of course, not every beach is the same. Some have higher waves, used for surfers, while others had jagged rocks by the coast. Some were white sandy beaches, while others had coves dug into the side of cliffs. Every beach was different and unique in its own way.

I nodded my head in reply. "I might as well," I spoke. "Besides, I haven't been to the beach in a while."

"Trust me, you'll love the Otori private beach in Okinawa," Haruhi spoke.

"Private beach?" I repeated. "Wow. I guess when you're rich you can afford anything."

"Yeah. Oh, by the way I was wondering if you would like to stay the night before the beach gathering."

"Sure. What day is the beach gathering again?"

"It's the last Saturday in May. Tamaki-senpai is sending his limo over to pick the hosts up at noon, except Kyoya of course. Since you're apartment is just down the street from mine, it would only be convenient if we stayed together for the night; plus, it would keep your secret safe."

"Sounds reasonable," I spoke.

Afterwards, we talked more about the beach for a few more minutes, before Haruhi had to leave to return home. I thanked Haruhi for her time before leaving the club room. Now that I had met each host, I had to figure out which type I preferred more. Even though I hadn't requested Kyoya yet, I would wait a few weeks before I designated him. Still, it sure was hard to pick my favorite. In fact, I didn't care about what there types were; all I cared about was if they were kind gentlemen or not. They all were, and they each reminded me of my brother. It was like all six of the male hosts put together in one package equaled Joe. This was going to be difficult.

Suddenly, I had come to a conclusion. Since there were seven hosts, I would request each of them monthly. There were about eleven months in the school year, since the school holidays only lasted about two weeks (Summer break one whole month) so that would equal the time I would spend with them with two months extra, which I would most likely take off. This month would be Haruhi's, then the twins next month, and then Hunny and Mori; and so on and so forth. Of course, now that I thought about it, the twins were together, as well as Hunny and Mori-senpai; so if I were to request them, I would have to request them together. That meant that each host could have two months; and besides, designating a host weekly was too confusing. I had to plan out something for the school year.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as April flew by, as well as the first three weeks in May, I found myself sitting across from the twins. Even though Haruhi and I were close friends, I rarely got to see the twins. As soon as hosting hours were over, I thanked the twins for an enjoyable time, and then I walked out to the front gate and down the road to my apartment. Haruhi had to stay after club hours for a while, so that she could help clean up anything; plus, the hosts had to gather together to check on their progress and be prepared for the group meetings. That gave me just enough time to get everything packed in my suitcase for the next two days.

I took my time picking out the outfits I would wear, as well as neatly folding them into my suitcase: my green sundress, some sandals, tennis shoes, a t-shirt, shorts, pajamas, toiletries, sketchbook, and my straightening iron and hairbrush. I double-checked to make sure I had everything I would need, and then I zipped up my suitcase and set it down off my bed.

I know, I know. Why wouldn't I pack a swimsuit? Well, to be completely honest . . . I didn't know how to swim. And because of that, I didn't own any bathing suits. What would be the use of a bathing suit if you couldn't go swimming anyway?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Glancing over at the clock, I saw that it read 6:43 pm, so I knew that it must've been Haruhi on the other side, ready to leave for her home. Pulling the handle of my roll-around suitcase up, I dragged it across the room and to the door, where I was greeted by Haruhi's sweet smile.

"All set to go?" she asked.

"Yep," I replied.

Afterwards, I stepped outside, locking the door behind me. Then, I followed Haruhi as she led me down the sidewalk. We talked for a little while about how classes were, and I asked her questions about what how it was being with the host club the year before. She said that it was rather strange at first, being surrounded by boys, especially Tamaki, who dubbed her as "daughter" and himself "Daddy". She also said that Tamaki would get upset with the twins whenever they were around her. I laughed a bit when she told me that, and I presumed that Tamaki must've been protective over her because he kind of liked her. It was obvious to me, especially since he would become furious if the twins would try to flirt with her.

Haruhi and I were definitely going to become quick best friends. She said that she didn't have many friends who were girls in the Academy, since her identity was as a boy, so she had to hang out with the boys of the school. I was glad that I could be the first friend in high school who was female, that way she would be able to act like a regular girl around me; since her true identity was taboo at school.

"So, you walk to school every day?" I inquired.

"Yes," she replied. "Even though my dad leaves for work a few hours after I leave, I enjoy walking out in the sunshine getting some exercise."

"What about when it rains?" I asked.

"I take an umbrella with me," she answered with a small smile. "Either that or my dad drops me off on his way to work."

"So, where does your dad work?" I asked.

"At a bar," she replied simply. "Sometimes he doesn't come home until late at night, but I don't mind. I do most of the chores and cook dinner anyway. My mom taught me."

"I can't wait to meet your family," I spoke.

"Trust me," answered Haruhi with a small smirk, "My dad is the most interesting one."

I wasn't sure what she meant, but then I presumed that she thought of her dad as "weird"; however, that was how most girls viewed their dads. Even though I couldn't remember anything about my father, I learned from viewing other families. Besides, Joe was kind of like a father-figure to me when I met him; and even though he was kind of goofy, he was still my brother, and I wouldn't trade him in for anything else in the world.

Once we walked down the sidewalk, Haruhi turned into a parking lot that led to a two-storied apartment complex. While she ascended the staircase, I had to stop and push the handle of my suitcase back down because it would be much easier to carry it up the stairs rather than drag it. Haruhi waited patiently as I caught up to her, and then she took the back end of my suitcase and lifted it up, so that we were both carrying it up the stairs.

"You don't have to do that, Haruhi," I spoke.

"It's all right," she replied with a smile. "Besides, the gentleman always helps out the ladies."

We both chuckled at that. Of course, Haruhi wasn't a _real_ gentleman, but she was nice offering to help me carry my suitcase to the second floor. Once we reached the top of the stairs, she set my suitcase back down on its wheels, and then I pulled the handle back out, dragging it along behind me until we reached her apartment door.

Haruhi jiggled the knob, only to find that it was locked. "Guess dad is still at work," she muttered, mostly to herself.

Then she fished around under the doormat, for what I assumed was a spare room key, and then she unlocked the door. We both walked in, and then Haruhi turned on the lights. The first room I entered was a living room with wooden flooring. There was a three-seat green sofa on top of a pale yellow rug. A wooden coffee table was set in front of that, and a small television set was placed on top of a short, wide cabinet.

"Well, this is it," she spoke, after I had walked in and closed the door behind us, "home sweet home."

"It's amazing how much an apartment room looks like a regular home from the inside." I smiled and turned to her, while she took her shoes off. "Well, size doesn't matter anyway. As long as you've got warmth and a roof over your head, you're home."

Haruhi smiled back and nodded in agreement. "Since my dad isn't home yet, I'll give you the grand tour."

She walked through the living room while, I took my shoes off and set them by the wall. Afterwards, I followed her into a small, but wide enough for two or three people to walk through, kitchen. Along one wall was a counter with a refrigerator, a toaster, a stovetop, and a tea kettle. The floor was wooden also, and there were cabinets built into the wooden part of the counter.

Then she led me to the room across from that, which was divided by a screen wall. I wasn't sure what it was at first, but Haruhi had said that it was the dining room. I would've never guessed since there was a short, but long, table with six cushions around its sides (two at the head and foot, and two on each of the sides). The floor was also wooden, but there was a green rug set up underneath the table. On the wall across from the doorway sat a wrought iron altar with a photo of a young woman smiling in the picture. I wasn't sure what that was all about, but I didn't want to inquire Haruhi about it if it bothered her.

Next, Haruhi led my though the kitchen and down a long, narrow hallway to two rooms; one of which I presumed was her parent's, and the other was hers. Once she led me into her room, I just had to gaze around. Her walls were a pale yellow and white wall paper with sakura blossoms stenciled in the white columns. Her floor was wooden also, except for a blue rug underneath a twin-sized bed along the far right corner of the room. There was a small wooden nightstand by her bedside, and a wardrobe dresser on the wall to the left of the doorway. One the right wall of the doorway was two long shelves, which held many different types of books.

Haruhi walked over to a wall beside her dresser. She felt around the edges of a section of the wall as if she were trying to peel off a part of a wall that led to a mysterious room. Eventually, the wall began to fold out, and a small, twin mattress sat on the faux wall that Haruhi had pulled out, like a magician pulling a rabbit from his hat.

She turned to me and smiled her cheery, warm smile, "And this is where you'll be sleeping."

I stared at her rather surprised. I would be sleeping in her room? Would she mind? Well, obviously her parents had chosen the room if they had known about the hidden bed in the wall, so that whenever Haruhi had a friend over to spend the night, it would be where the guest would sleep.

"Are you sure?" I inquired. "I mean, I could take the couch."

"It's no big deal, K.C.," she replied, chuckling a bit, "besides, I just want you to feel at home with the Fujioka's."

I smiled as thanks, but then suddenly we heard the front door open and shut. "Haruhi!" a voice chorused from the living room. We turned to face the door where the voice echoed as it continued, "I'm home. Are you here?"

Haruhi sighed, and then smiled weakly, "That's dad." She turned to me and added, "You can leave your stuff here if you want."

I nodded my head affirming, and then I pushed the handle back into the suitcase and left it there. Then, I followed Haruhi out of the room and down the hall until we were in the living room with her father. Of course, when I first caught sight of him, I never would've guess that he was her father. In fact, _he_ looked more like a _she_. Mr. Fujioka had long, burgundy-colored hair that was curled slightly, and he wore a violet blouse and a long, magenta skirt with matching dress shoes. He had make-up covering his face from eyeliner to lipstick and everything else that was used as make-up. Just taking a second glance at Haruhi's dad made me wonder how his wife would approve of his actions.

"Haruhi!" her father cried once we entered the room. He gave his daughter a hug, and then asked, "How was school?"

"Fine, dad," she replied, with a small smile, "it was the same as always."

"That's good." Then her father glanced over at me and smiled. "Ah, you must be Katherine, correct?"

"Y–yes, sir," I replied, rather unsure whether to call him 'sir' or not.

"Haruhi has told me all about you," he spoke. Then he held out his hand (he even got a manicure too!). "Welcome to the Fujioka household, Katherine," he added.

I accepted his hand and shook it. "Thank you for having me over for the night, Mr. Fujioka."

"No problem, my dear," he replied once we released each other. "And, please, call me Ranka-san."

After the introductions, Haruhi began to fix dinner for the night. I wanted to help, but I had a feeling that Japanese dishes were much different than the meals Joseph cooked at home. Even at school, I never tasted any of the dishes the school chefs prepared, but they sure were delicious. Well, it was always my type to try out new things every once in a while. Besides, I could benefit something from it.

While Haruhi prepared supper, I unpacked my pajamas I would wear for the night so that I could grab them and head to the bathroom to take a shower. As soon as Haruhi was finished, she set everything down at the small dining table, and we all walked in and sat down. I just had to stop and gaze at her and her father at the dinner table for a while. Instead of a regular table with chairs set around it, Haruhi and her father sat on their knees on the cushions set around the kneeling table. I guess it was a Japanese thing.

Seating myself across from Haruhi, I began to eat on my steamed rice. None of us spoke to each other for a while, and I didn't know what to say to Haruhi's father, especially ask about how he ended up the way he did. Was he bisexual or something? It couldn't be. If that was the case, then Haruhi would have been adopted, but she looked a little bit like her father. Who knows how Ranka-san ended up as a cross-dresser? Well, it wouldn't be right of me to judge people like that; in fact, it could've been part of his job.

"So, Katherine," Mr. Fujioka spoke after a minute or two of silence, "I heard that you're a transfer to Ouran Academy."

I nodded in reply. "I got to the school on a scholarship," I spoke.

"Another scholarship student in the school," he spoke with a small smile. "At least you've become quick friends with my little Haruhi. She's needed a female friend in high school for a while now."

"I guess that the Host Club is too overwhelming then?" I asked.

"A little," Haruhi replied. "It's overwhelming all around school."

"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore," I spoke with a smile. "Your secret's safe with me."

Haruhi smiled back, and then continued her supper.

"Where did you transfer from exactly?" her father inquired with interest.

"America," I spoke. "It's just a few . . . hundred miles away from Japan," I replied, looking down as I spoke the last part.

I know that I should suck it up and be mature, but I still couldn't help but feel a little homesick. I missed Joseph, Mackenzie, and everyone else back at home; however, I was making new friends here in Japan, especially Haruhi and the hosts. They were all like a family to me, and I felt at home when I was with them.

"Of course," I spoke, lifting my head back up to face them, "I like traveling to new places. Sure I may be a little homesick; but, hey, ever since I made friends with Haruhi, I feel like I'm home."

"Such a positive attitude you have there, Katherine!" her father remarked cheerfully.

Haruhi nodded in agreement, and then we went back to finishing off dinner. As soon as we cleaned our plates, I offered to help Haruhi with the dishes. She gladly obliged, and I found myself drying the wet dishes she handed to me, while giggling and laughing away every time one of us said something funny during our chat. Yes, I knew for sure that Haruhi and I would become _very_ close friends.

Afterwards, Haruhi and I headed off down the hall. She allowed me to take my shower first, probably because I was the guest, and I gladly took her offer. Once I was finished, I slipped into my pajamas and pulled my hair back into a ponytail. I made my way back to Haruhi's room and collapsed on the Murphy bed. Even though it was almost nine o'clock, I was drained from school, and all I could think about was resting up for tomorrow. Since Tamaki would be picking Haruhi and me up at noon, we'd probably wake up around eight o'clock or so to have breakfast and prepare ourselves to leave.

As soon as Haruhi finished her shower and got dressed, she walked into her room and smiled at me. "Tired?" she asked.

"Exhausted," I replied, sitting up on the mattress. "School can drain a lot of energy from you."

"I know what you mean," she replied, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Of course, for me, it's school _plus_ club hours."

"I bet that takes a lot out of your homework time," I spoke.

"A little," she replied, "but I get my work done just before bed."

"Speaking of bed," I spoke, folding down the sheets, "I'm going to hop in and rest for the night. We need to get up early anyway."

Haruhi nodded in agreement, and then she slid under the bedding and sheets of her bed. I snuggled down into the covers while she reached up and turned the lamplight off. We said our good-night's and closed our eyes to drift off into dreamland. Even though I wasn't asleep, I could visualize myself sitting atop a rock on shore gazing out at the calm waves as they were drawn inward and then receded. The gentle ocean breeze gently nipped my skin, and the sun setting on the horizon was perfect.

I wasn't sure what we would do once we got there, but I'm sure the hosts would lecture the rules like, don't go too far down the coast from the resort, or something like that. Well, since it was a private beach, the villa must've been fairly large. I could only imagine what the next day would bring.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The familiar, irritating buzzing of an alarm clock woke me from my slumber. Wearily reaching my hand over, I groped around for it, but my hand just brushed through air. Suddenly, there was a rustle, and then the alarm was silenced. I knew that I hadn't flipped the switch off, but that was when I realized that I wasn't in my room. Sitting up in bed, I rubbed my eyes with my arm and blinked a bit to bring my weary vision into focus. Afterwards, I glanced to find Haruhi, who was returning my gaze with a small smirk on her face.

"Good-morning, K.C.," she spoke. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I kind of wish I could go back to bed though."

Haruhi chuckled, and then she spoke, "Well, Tamaki-senpai will be here to pick us up in about two hours, so we have plenty of time to get some breakfast and get ready. Anything I could fix you?"

"A bowl of rice will do," I replied. "Would you like any help with breakfast, Haruhi?"

"I think I've got it," she replied, sliding out of bed, "but thanks for offering."

Then, she walked out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen, while I turned and slid out of the Murphy bed. I closed the door and locked it so that I could have some privacy while undressing and then slipping on my sundress. Afterwards, I set my pajamas in my suitcase, and then I turned to the bed. I didn't want to leave the house and keep it with the bedding and sheets messed up; so, I took them and neatly folded them, setting the bedding on the mattress.

Afterwards, I unlocked the door and walked down the hall and to the kitchen where Haruhi was finishing up with preparing breakfast. "That sure was quick," I commented with a small smile.

"Well, I've been cooking meals for the past ten years," Haruhi replied, returning my smile.

With that, she carried breakfast across the room into the dining room area and set the bowls on the table. Haruhi sat on her knees across from me, like how she was the night before, and I sat on my knees across from her. As soon as Haruhi was all set, we began to chow down on breakfast. I must admit that Haruhi did an excellent job with the rice; of course, I couldn't compare her to my brother's cooking, even though Haruhi's was better. I'll just say that I liked both.

"This is good, Haruhi," I spoke.

"Glad you like it," she replied with a small smile.

"I guess you became a culinary artist after cooking for such a long time," I added. "I mean, ten years? That's amazing. I haven't started cooking my own meals since . . . well, a year ago."

Haruhi giggled at that last part. Even though it was true, I still blushed with embarrassment that I hadn't learned how to cook. Learning how to prepare meals before I went off on my own was mandatory, especially when I was old enough to leave the house and began living on my own. Joseph had taught himself how to cook, which would explain why he made perfect dishes; and then he taught me how to prepare my own meal. I began to giggle in my mind remembering how burnt my first meal ended up, but Joe was able to encourage me.

"It took some practice," Haruhi spoke, "but my dad liked my cooking no matter how terrible it ended up. Since he obviously left for work early again, he probably just pulled some leftovers for breakfast."

"My brother is the exact same way," I spoke. "I guess it's because whoever is raising you helps encourage you no matter what."

"Yeah," Haruhi agreed. "Ever since my mom passed away ten years ago, he's took charge in raising me."

I nearly dropped my utensils onto the table after she said that. With my jaw slightly dropped, I glanced up at her surprised and repeated, "You're mom passed away?"

Haruhi glanced down at her bowl and nodded in reply.

"Oh, Haruhi, I'm so sorry," I said. "I had no idea."

"It's okay," she replied, looking back up and smiling at me. "It was a long time ago. But, I've always looked up to her as a role model. She was a lawyer, and that's how I ended up with a scholarship to Ouran; I wanted to get as many studies as I could to become a lawyer just like her."

I smiled. Even though Haruhi had lived without a mother when she was very young, probably about five or six, she was still able to push herself to follow in her mother's footsteps. Gaining a scholarship to Ouran was a smart idea to earn the studies needed to become an attorney. Haruhi made an interesting decision to study at an elite school rather than finish high school and study up through college; but, she was intelligent, and I had full faith in her for becoming a lawyer.

As soon as we finished, I thanked Haruhi again for preparing breakfast for the both of us. "Let me do the dishes for you, Haruhi," I spoke, standing up with my bowl in my hands.

"It's all right, K.C.," she spoke, taking her bowl as well. "I've got it."

"I don't mind doing it for you," I spoke, with a smile. "Besides, you need to get dressed anyway."

Haruhi glanced down at her pajamas, and then she looked up and smiled. "I guess you're right. But, are you sure you want to?"

"Of course," I replied. "I do the dishes at home anyway."

"All right then."

With that, Haruhi and I walked out from the dining room and set our dishes beside the sink. While Haruhi walked down the hall to get dressed and prepare herself, I rinsed the dishes out and scrubbed them with the sponge and dish-soap. I didn't mind at all helping Haruhi out. After hearing how she basically took care of the chores and cooking of her apartment, I thought that she deserved a break for once.

As soon as I finished, I heard footsteps walk down the hall. Drying my hands on the dish rag, I looked over to find Haruhi with a navy T-shirt on and khaki shorts. Obviously, she couldn't wear a swimsuit or else the girls might find out her secret, so she had no choice but to dress like a guy. What would she do though? Well, I'm sure she'd hang out with the hosts and chat with them.

While Haruhi and I walked back to the room, she began to pack her belongings, while I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and fix up my hair. Since I was going to wear a ponytail all day, I just straightened my bangs and curled the ends of my hair. After that, I pulled my hair back in a dark-green scrungie, and I cleaned off the counter, packing away my toiletries back into my bag.

After a while, I packed up my belongings for the night at the Otori villa, and then we walked outside the apartment, Haruhi locking the door upon exit. We stood by the staircase awaiting Tamaki's limo to pull up in the parking lot; and a split second before ten o'clock, the black limousine pulled up. The back door of the stretched car open and the Host Club prince stepped out to greet us. Tamaki wasn't wearing his usual school uniform; instead, he substituted it with a red, button down collar shirt with palm trees on it, khaki shorts and flip-flops.

"Hey Haruhi, Katherine," he spoke. "All set to go?"

"We're ready, senpai," Haruhi replied.

"Well then, shall we?" Tamaki spoke, holding the door open while Haruhi and I climbed into the seat of the limo.

Tamaki signaled his driver before stepping in and taking a seat across from us. Afterwards, the stretched car began to pull forward out of the parking lot and down the road. Haruhi and I sat together on one long seat that stretched from one door to the other side of the car, while the seat across from us, where Tamaki sat, was the same way. We didn't talk much for the first few minutes, since we were all still a little tired.

"So, Tamaki-senpai," I spoke up, breaking the silence, "Are we picking anyone else up?"

"Originally, the rest of the hosts were joining, but they decided took their own limacine," he replied. Then he gazed at me adoringly, giving me that charming, serene smile of his, and added, "So, it'll be just the three of us, my darling."

I glanced away slightly, trying my hardest not to blush in front of him; but suddenly, he crawled over and sat down beside me, taking my chin in his hand. "What's wrong, my dear?" he inquired, still tenderly gazing at me. "Why do you look away like that?"

"I . . . uh . . ." I began lamely, my face now growing even hotter than earlier.

I began to turn my head away again; however, Tamaki gently caressed the side of my face with his hand, gently turning my face back as he did. He smiled charmingly, and my heart began to beat uncomfortably fast. Words began buzzing around in my mind trying to come out in a reasonable sentence to answer Tamaki; nevertheless, my lips would shape the words, but my voice couldn't utter a single syllable.

The host king only smiled at me. "There's no need to be ashamed, princess," he spoke softly. "I don't mind at all if your feelings begin to show up on your face, and besides," he added, leaning a little closer, so close that I could feel the warmth of his face added to the rising temperature in mine. "I think you're even more beautiful when you blush," he whispered in my ear.

My heart nearly exploded from his voice in my ear. I could feel his gentle, warm breath flowing on my neck as he spoke. Hopefully these seats were super absorbent because I felt like I wanted to melt away and dissolve into the crimson, velvet fabric. Every second that passed by felt like an eternity, and the rapid thudding of my heart sounded like it was pleading whatever it was causing it to go into overdrive to cease.

Eventually, Tamaki did let my go, but I was still flabbergasted. I could barely move; in fact, I felt like passing out right in the seat. Once I felt that my face had restored its color, I glanced over at Tamaki, who was just smiling tenderly as he gazed at me. I smiled a little, but then I turned to look out the window. I watched as the limo drove passed towns and pastures, but I didn't speak a word. I was still too nervous around Tamaki; plus, if I said something, he might go "Host King" on me again, and I didn't want to suffer another near-heart-attack.

Haruhi and Tamaki were chatting about something that had to do with the Host Club, but I paid no mind to their conversation. My mind was lost again as I continued to dream about what the beach was like. Of course, I knew what a beach was like, but every beach was different in its own way. Some had rocks along the shore, while others didn't; some beaches had rough waters, while others had smooth; some had large waves for surfing, while others had small waves creating tide pools with millions of sea shells in it. There were thousands of different options that makes every beach one of a kind.

Once again, I was lost in my daydream that I didn't hear Haruhi speaking to me, until she tapped me on the shoulder, which made me jump. I glanced over at her, but she only smiled. "Sorry, K.C.," she spoke, grinning. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's all right," I replied, returning her smile. "I should've been paying attention."

"Speaking of which, are you feeling all right?" she asked. "You kind of zoned out there for a minute."

"I'm fine," I replied. "I'm just a little tired."

"Well, the airport is only half an hour away," Tamaki spoke. And then he grinned again at me, "So, feel free to rest, my sleeping beauty."

I blushed, and then replied, "All right."

With that, I rested my arm on the window sill while I laid my head on top. I gazed at the passing scenes outside the tinted window, until my eyes began to slowly close automatically. I couldn't wait to arrive at the beach, but, I wished that my brother would be there with me. Well, I would be able to hang out with him and Mackenzie once I returned home for the summer.

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**Okay, that's it for today, I promise! Phew, four chapters published in only one day . . . I need to get some sleep . . .**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed it!**


	7. Beach Bash

**Welcome back, Fanficiton peoples!**

**You guys enjoying it so far?**

**Well, here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Ouran-ish or stuff relating to Ouran, just my OC's**

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**~ Chapter 7 ~**

**Beach Bash**

The gentle stroke of a hand on the side of my head aroused me from my slumber. I smiled and sighed contentedly, thinking I was back home being awoken by Joe; but as I opened my eyes, I saw Haruhi sitting in a seat across from me with a small smile on her face as she gazed at me. Where was Tamaki though? _He_ was originally sitting across from me with Haruhi _beside_ me, maybe the two decided to sit together to give me some room to lounge myself on the seat. As I looked though, I found that Haruhi was by herself.

Before I could say anything, a voice whispered, from above me, "Are you awake, princess?"

I shot up, startled, only to find myself gazing into the sapphire eyes of the Host Club's president, Tamaki. Apparently, he and Haruhi had switched seats, and my head had been resting on his lap. My cheeks began to flush again as I gazed into his eyes, and then I looked away slightly.

"I . . . I'm sorry, senpai," I spoke. "I didn't mean . . . I didn't know that I was . . . uh."

Suddenly, Tamaki caressed the side of my face with his hand, and turned it to face him. I silenced myself as he leaned close to me with that serene smile on his face, and my face began to fluster up even more, but it subsided after a few moments, probably because I was already used to the whole closeness with Tamaki. Seriously, something had to be up with him, as well as the twins. Ever since it was Hikaru and Kaoru's month, they've been hanging around me like metal to a magnet. There had to be some kind of competition going on between the two of them and Tamaki.

"It's all right, my princess," he spoke softly. Then, he pulled me close to him, wrapping me in an embrace, while he rested his chin on the top of my head. "I don't mind at all. You just needed your rest."

"Tamaki-senpai . . ." I whispered.

I felt like falling asleep again in his arms. Being held in an embrace, especially as gentle as Tamaki's, made me feel like I was back at home with Joseph; and as I closed my eyes, I could picture sitting on the couch while my brother pulled me close to him with one arm around my shoulders. Even though he wasn't here in Japan with me, I felt like he was with me, while the hosts served as my "substitute-older-brothers".

"How much longer until we reach Okinawa, senpai?" Haruhi asked while Tamaki released me and I sat up.

"It shouldn't be much longer," Tamaki replied. "Besides, Daddy's having fun chatting with his daughters!"

With that, Tamaki threw his arms around both of us and squeezed us tightly. What was the daughter thing all about? Haruhi told me that Tamaki would normally call her his daughter, dubbing him "Daddy" as well; but, I didn't think that I would get pulled into the family. Well, pretend or not, I was glad that I had a family away from home. That way, I wouldn't be homesick all the time.

Suddenly, the floor beneath us jerked, as if we had run over a pot in the road, and I fell back, landing in the seat.

"Are you all right, my princess?" Tamaki inquired. "I should've warned you that there would be a few turbulences during the flight."

"It's fine, really," I answered. "It's just . . . wait, what?"

Turning around to gaze out the window, I found that we were not longer in the limousine; in fact, we were high in the air with puffy white clouds replacing the asphalt road. Glancing around, I realized that this wasn't a limo, it was a private jet, Tamaki's probably. Well, the view outside was nice, despite the fact that the scenery was exactly the same.

"You had fallen asleep the entire ride to the airport," Haruhi explained. "Senpai didn't want to wake you, so he carried you into the jet."

"I _couldn't _wake you," Tamaki added, in a cheery voice. Then he began to twirl around, and . . . were those stars in his eyes? "You were just so cute! Just like a sleeping beauty!"

Haruhi and I only stared at him as he continued to twirl around the room, oblivious to anything he bumped into. "Does he normally act like this?" I asked Haruhi.

"Every once in a while," she replied.

After about another half hour or so, the pilot's voice on the intercom told us that we would be landing soon. The three of us then sat down, buckling our seats as I gazed out the window. The plane descended through the thick wall of clouds before a group of islands planted in the ocean came into view and grew larger the closer the jet came towards them.

Once the wheels came in contact with the runway and the jet came to a full and complete stop, the side door was opened, and then Haruhi and I stepped out first, while Tamaki was last. I had to shade my eyes with my hand from the blinding sunlight. Since I was in the jet, and asleep, for an hour or so, my eyes weren't used to the brightness. After they adjusted, however, I grabbed my luggage from the cargo hold.

Right when the last few suitcases were hauled out, a black stretch limo pulled up beside the jet. Once it stopped, the chauffeur opened the door and Haruhi and Tamaki began to walk over to the limousine with their luggage. I assumed that Kyoya had sent his limo to pick us up and take the three of us over to the villa, so without hesitation, I followed the two hosts into the back of the limo, setting my suitcase down beside me. The ride to the Otori villa only took about twenty minutes, and by the time the three of us stepped out, I gazed in awe at the sights.

Okinawa was amazing! The private beach that the Otori family owned stretched all the way along the shoreline to the mountains. There were a few rocks covering the shore, some larger than others, and were able to climb and stand on. The waves were small, not much for surfing; and the ocean breeze was warm as it flowed through my hair. I inhaled the ocean air deeply and sighed dreamily.

Since this was a Host Club event, I had a feeling that the girls would be requesting hosts like any other day at the club; however, I decided to take it easy for the day. After all, this was a sort of vacation, even though school had begun recently. Still, it was nice to receive a break every once in a while.

Suddenly, a calm voice called out to us, "Tamaki!"

The three of us turned to see Kyoya striding up to the limo. He was wearing a white button-down shirt, beige Bermuda shorts, and brown sandals. Like always, he carried his black notebook under his arm, while his left hand was buried in his pocket. Kyoya kept a small smile across his face, while the lenses of his glasses gleamed when the sunlight hit them.

"Oh, hey, Kyoya," Tamaki replied, hoisting his suitcase from the back seat. "Everything set up?"

"Everything is prepared for our guests," Kyoya replied, stopping in front of us. Then, he turned to Haruhi and me and added, "Good to see you, Haruhi, Katherine. Glad you could make it."

"Thanks for having us, Kyoya-senpai," I replied, with a smile.

"My pleasure," he replied, grinning back.

As soon as the luggage was unloaded, Kyoya led the three of us inside the massive beach resort, and I just had to stare in awe at the interior. The ceiling was about twenty feet above the floor, and there were Corinthian Columns lined throughout the middle and beside the open hallways. There were Renaissance pottery set atop gorgeous, marble white tables, and each vase was filled with an array of exotic flowers. The curtains that hung from the towering windows were a deep scarlet red with golden tassels strung around the center, keeping them parted to reveal the view of the ocean.

Once the group was dropped off at their rooms, I opened the door to mine to find a large, queen-sized bed set against the left wall of the room, with a white, wooden nightstand beside it. There was a small vase with a variety of flowers set in it, and in front sat a digital alarm clock. A door was set to the right of the bed, which I presumed was the restroom. Across from the bed was a white-wooden desk with a sky-blue lamp; and to the left of that was a large wardrobe. Across from the door where I stood was the large window with red curtains. The drapes had covered the window; but when I walked in the room and strode over to open the curtains, I gazed in awe at the perfect view of the ocean.

After unpacking everything I would need for the night, I strode out of the room and down the hall to the foyer, where I found Kyoya and Tamaki greeting the other hosts as they entered. Mori wore a light blue T-shirt with gray swimming trunks, and Hunny, who was riding on Mori's shoulders, wore a white T-shirt and orange swimming trunks. Hikaru was wearing two layers op tank tops, black and then light blue on top with navy trunks; while Kaoru wore just one orange tank top and burgundy trunks.

As I walked towards the group, they turned to me and smiled, especially Hunny. "K.C.-chan!"

"Hey, everyone," I spoke.

"Hey, K.C.," Hikaru replied.

"You look lovely," Kaoru added.

I blushed. "Thanks."

Then, I noticed Tamaki shoot a sideways glare at the twins, who only returned his glance with a smirk. Yep, there was some kind of rivalry going on.

"Well," Kyoya spoke, "our guests will be arriving soon, so let's prepare our stations."

The rest of the hosts and I nodded in reply, and then we walked outside to the tables, chairs, and umbrellas. After about five or so minutes, the first few ladies squealed and swooned as they dashed from their limos and towards their hosts. Tamaki, like always, was surrounded nearly half of the girls; but as I passed by him, our eyes met, and he flashed me his trademark smile. I blushed and waved back sheepishly as I continued to walk along the shoreline.

Strands of my hair gently flowed in the sea breeze as I walked onward. It was nice to be back at the beach again. Back two summers ago, Joseph, Mackenzie, and I went to the beach; and ever since then, I couldn't wait to go back. Now I was, and I had new friends with me too. Each one of them unique in their own way, and I was a part of their family. Tamaki, well he was "Daddy", and, due to club positions, Kyoya was "Mommy", the twins were the mischievous older brothers, Haruhi was like a sister, Mori was like an older brother, and Hunny, even though he was older than me, was like a little brother. Yes, the Host Club was a home away from home.

Suddenly, a high-pitched voice squealed as I felt something jump onto my side, making me nearly lose my balance, "K.C.-chan!"

I looked down to find the little Lolita host. "Hey, Hunny-senpai," I spoke, kneeling down on one knee to his level.

Hunny jumped off of me, and then he gazed up at me with a wide smile and big copper brown eyes. "Hey, K.C.-chan, do you wanna build a sand castle with Takashi and me?"

I gazed down at him for a while. Never in my life had I built a sand castle, mostly because I played around in the ocean and collected seashells. I guess that building a sandcastle must've been something little kids would do, especially considering the fact that Hunny acted like a little kid.

Smiling at him, I spoke, "I'd love to, Hunny. In fact, I've never really built one before."

The boy Lolita's eyes grew wide as he stared at me surprised, but his expression quickly changed to a smile again as he squealed, "You'll love it, K.C.-chan! It's tons of fun! I'll even show you how."

With that, he took my hand and pulled me over to a spot where Mori was waiting on him. I must admit for someone so small, Hunny had a firm grip as he tugged my hand, and it was even hard just to keep up with him. Thankfully, the Lolita boy slowed down as we neared his tall, silent companion, and I smiled slightly at him as I stood beside Hunny.

"Takashi," Hunny spoke to him, "K.C.-chan has come to join us making sandcastles. And believe it or not, it's her first time too."

I blushed embarrassed as I glanced away slightly, but Mori let a small smile spread across his face. Honey sat down in the sand and began to scoop sand with his little plastic shovel into the bucket, while I sat on my knees beside him. You've gotta admit that the Lolita boy was just so adorable sitting there and playing in the sand.

"All right, K.C.-chan," Hunny spoke. "Making a sandcastle is simple once you start. First," –he would do so as he spoke–, "you fill your bucket up with sand, and then you pat it down until the sand sticks together. Then, you quickly flip it over so that the opening is on the sand. After that, you slowly lift it up, and . . . Ta-Da!"

I stared at the perfectly made cylinder of sand. This sure wasn't going to be as easy as I thought it would be; I mean, what if mine turned out to have cracks in it or fall apart when I lifted the bucket up? Well, this was my first time, so I had a feeling that there would be a few errors with the sand castle. Of course, as I took a look at Hunny's sand castle, it didn't look much like a castle at all. Maybe there were more steps to it.

"Now, you try," Hunny spoke, handing me the toy shovel and pail.

Accepting them, I stared down at the little plastic toys. It felt rather silly and embarrassing to be using little kids toys, but since the only ones around were Hunny, Mori, and me, I began to relax a little. Releasing a deep breath, I set the bucket down and began to scoop the sand into it. Once sand had filled to the top, I patted it down so that the tiny sand grains stuck together; and then, I quickly flipped the bucket over. I waited for a while, unsure of how it was going to turn out; and as I slowly lifted the bucket up, the sand-form looked flawless. That is, until a piece of it cracked at the top and fell off.

"Did I not do it right?" I asked, more to myself.

"You did fine, K.C.-chan!" Hunny squealed. "Not bad for a first time either."

I smiled as thanks, and then we continued to make more sand castles. Hunny even used four of his sand moldings to make a base and set another one on top of the four. I was just surprised that the weight on top didn't cause the base underneath to crumble and collapse. It did once, but Hunny only laughed and fixed it back up again.

After we grew tired of sand castle building, Hunny and I decided to bury Mori in the sand. We covered him up from his waist to his feet and sculpted a mermaid tail out of the mound of sand. When we were finished, we took a step back to get a good look at our finished creation, and we laughed at how Mori looked as a sand-merman. It was definitely something to remember, so I told Hunny to sit beside Mori so that I could take a picture.

Once that was said and done, Mori, Hunny, went to the ocean to wash the sand off their legs while I gazed around at all the other hosts. Kyoya stood with a line of girls, while one girl sat on a rock with Tamaki gazing out at the ocean; and after a while, that girl would leave and the next girl in line would come up and sit with him. I sighed and shook my head. Then, I spotted Haruhi sitting on a towel underneath an umbrella.

"Hey, Haruhi," I spoke, taking a seat beside her.

"Hey, K.C.," she spoke, with a small smile. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

I nodded in reply, and then I gazed out at the ocean. "Okinawa is amazing."

"It is," the female host replied, gazing out at the sea with me. "It's one of my favorite beaches I've been to. No trash in the ocean, everything here is constantly kept clean. And as much as I want to enjoy it, there are some things that I can't do because it would give away the fact that I'm a girl."

I nodded in agreement. Even though Haruhi loved the beach, she couldn't go swimming in the ocean because she would have to wear a swimsuit, but since the hosts had customers visiting, she couldn't reveal her secret or else she couldn't stay in the host club; plus, she would have to find another way to pay off her debt. Too bad though, because if this was just a regular break, Haruhi and I could go swimming in the ocean.

"Hey, Haruhi! K.C.!" a pair of voices called out to us.

We looked over to find the twins approaching us. My face began to turn a pinkish color when I saw that they had taken their shirts off, and I must admit that they looked handsome! They weren't muscular; but still, they were tall, lean young men. Hikaru and Kaoru both had identical smiles on their faces, and Kaoru held a white ball under one arm.

"You wanna play Volleyball with us?" they inquired. "We just need two more people to join."

I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What's Volleyball?"

The twins and Haruhi stared at me surprised like I had something on my face. I backed away slightly in embarrassment, and then Haruhi asked, "You've never played before?"

"No," I replied.

The twins exchanged smirks, and then they glanced back at me. "Then you'll _have_ to play with us and try it out."

With that Kaoru grabbed my arms and pulled me to my feet while Hikaru did the same to Haruhi, and then they hauled us off to a spot near where we sat originally. Two poles stood planted in the ground and were separated by seven or eight feet. A cross-hatched net was tied to each pole, so that the net itself hung in the middle like a spider web. Kaoru and Hikaru released us once Haruhi and I stood with two other girls, and then they stood facing us.

"Alright everyone," they spoke together, but then Hikaru continued, "The two teams that will be against each other are host versus host–"

"–Which, of course, is our team versus Haruhi's team," Kaoru ended.

Then, the two plastered those grins on their faces as they ended together, "So, you ladies take your pick."

Once they finished, the two girls quickly flocked to Haruhi while I stood there gazing at them. Haruhi had been a host for only one school year, but she's almost as popular with the ladies as Tamaki was. I guess it was because that Haruhi was secretly a girl, so she could relate to the other ladies that requested her, without putting on that fake-love type of act. It came naturally with her.

"Well, K.C.," the twins chimed, walking up to me. "Looks like you're on our team."

"That's fine with me," I spoke, turning to them and smiling. "As long as I'm having fun with the game, it doesn't matter what team I'm on."

After that, we took our places on our sides of the net, and I gazed at the net and the other players on the other side. I began to grow a little nervous. What if I messed up? Obviously, these girls, and Haruhi, knew how to play this game, but I didn't. What if I forgot what I was supposed to do and froze up on court? Not knowing what else to do, I turned to the twins.

"So, how is this game supposed to work?" I inquired.

"Simple," they replied with their identical smiles.

Then Kaoru stood beside me with the ball in his hands and he extended his arm out so that the ball was face up. "At the beginning of the game," he explained, "one person serves the ball like this," he swung his free arm so that his hand, which was clenched, came into contact with the ball.

"Then the two teams have to keep the volleyball from touching the ground," Hikaru continued, standing on the other side of me. "If he ball lands on their side–"

"–it's a point for them," Kaoru ended, "and vice versa."

"Okay, simple," I replied.

"Would you like to serve first, K.C.?" the twins asked together.

I glanced from the two of them and smiled. "Sure," I replied.

Kaoru handed me the ball, and I extended my arm, like how he had it. I slowly swung my arm lightly touching the ball with my wrist just to make sure I didn't miss it, and then I pulled my free arm back and swung hard. It sure did sting a little, but I didn't pay attention to it since I was busy trying to keep the ball from touching the ground. I missed a few times, but Hikaru bumped it into the air before it hit the ground. Volleyball was a tricky sport, especially since one player had to keep up with the ball in order to hit it once it came to them. I ended up into running into Hikaru when we were both going for the ball, which caused it to fall on our side. We laughed it off of course; and, in the end, "Team Haruhi" ended up winning.

Lunchtime came around, and the hosts served fruit punch and pineapple upside-down cake, and, yes, entertained their guests as well. Since it was still the twin's month, I requested them for the afternoon. We chatted more about the Volleyball game, and the Hitachiin brothers had to confess that I played well for my first time. It didn't matter much to me how well I did, even though it mattered if I messed up and embarrassed myself; but, I still had fun with the twins and Haruhi.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The giant orb in the sky soon began to sink into the ocean, creating a glistening reflection on the sea. Most of the hosts were still entertaining their guests, even Kyoya. Well, I may have said that once Kyoya began hosting, I would request him, but the orange-painted sky and the sun setting on the ocean horizon was something that I _had_ to sketch. I sat on top of one of the rocks with my pencils by my side and my sketchbook on my lap. From where I was sitting, it was the perfect angle of the sunset to my right, and the mountains and resort to my left. I would look up every once in a while to make sure that I hadn't missed anything and also to check that I hadn't made a mistake.

When I had completed lightly drawing the outline, I began to go over and shade it in. Once I did, though, I felt the presence of two people from behind me, but I didn't get the chance to glance over to see who it was until they spoke to me: "So, these are the drawings you've told us about."

I turned to find the twins peering over my shoulder, and then I smiled. "Yes, but it's not finished though. I just have to shade the rest of it."

The twins took their spots on either side of me as they continued to watch with interest as I shaded the waters, lighter for the glistening sparkles that the sun created. None of us spoke a word to each other until I was finished, and then I signed my name in English at the bottom right corner of the page. Since I had my own signature, it wouldn't matter if it was easy to comprehend or not.

"There," I spoke, setting the picture on my lap, while I began to put my pencils back into the case.

Hikaru and Kaoru picked up the sketchbook and took a closer look at it. "It's amazing!" they spoke in unison. Then, Kaoru added, "You sure are a great artist, K.C."

I blushed. "Thanks, but it's not as good as famous artists' work."

"I don't think it would matter," Hikaru spoke.

"Everyone who has artistic talent has their own way of showing it," Kaoru added.

I thought about what they said for a moment. Maybe they were right. I mean, there were artists who loved to show feeling and emotion through their artwork, and some who drew abstract. Some artists were cartoonists, and some were manga artists. Either way, it was a type of art. Maybe I was just as good as my brother, but we had different perspectives on the way we drew.

"Well," I spoke, taking the sketchbook from them and closing it, "it's getting late. I should probably be heading back to my room."

The Hitachiin brothers smiled as they each draped an arm around my shoulder. "We were glad you could come, K.C.," they spoke.

"I'm glad I could too," I answered.

After saying good-night, I set my sketchbook into my book bag, and then I began to make my way towards the resort. Today was simply amazing. I loved having a vacation on the beach, but more importantly, I got to try new things like building a sandcastle and playing Volleyball. That sure was fun, and I couldn't wait to call my brother and tell him everything about it.

Suddenly, I heard a shriek from further down the beach. I turned, curious, to find some of the female guests on top of a towering crag with two other guys who I couldn't identify. One thing for sure was that those two men were trespassers, and were most likely sexually harassing the girls. I glanced around frantically, searching for the Host Club for help, but they were nowhere, most likely inside setting everything up for dinner. I released a heavy sigh and then rushed over to the rock formation.

I scaled to the top only to find the one of the guys, who had black hair, holding two of the girls, while the other, who was a brunette, was grasping the other girl's wrist with his hands, while she hopelessly tried to squirm her way out. Fury began to burn up inside me. These men had no right bullying and harassing the defenseless ladies, but someone had to stand up for them and rescue them.

"Would harming or harassing these innocent girls give you any benefit?" I questioned calmly.

The two trespassers turned to me, and then the brunette that was holding the girl hostage released her and then faced me. He had a smirk spread across his face as he approached me, and I began to grow fearful questioning myself why in the world did I get myself into this mess? I had to stand up to them though.

"Harassing is such a strong word," the brunette one of the two men spoke. "We were simply hooking up with them and inviting them to come back to our place."

I had a feeling that if these girls were hauled over to their place by these men, they would receive much more than a free dinner and a place to stay. The brunette man strode up to me and grasped me around the waist and arms so that my back was against his torso. My arms were immobile for the moment, and I could barely move from his grasp. The brunette lowered his head so that the side of his face rested against mine, and I could smell the stench of alcohol emanating from his breath.

"Why don't you join us?" he inquired deviously. "You look like a gal who loves some fun."

My anger began to swell up inside me. "I would strongly advise you to release me, or else," I commanded through gritted teeth.

The brunette only gave a laugh, and then asked, "Or else what?"

I turned my head to face the girl, who he had released, standing there staring from her captured friends to me. I mouthed the words "get the hosts", and she nodded her head understandingly. As soon as I saw her leave, I turned my attention back towards my captor, and then I smirked.

"Or else I'll do this!" I exclaimed.

With that I stepped on his foot with my heel, and his arms relaxed somewhat. Jabbing my elbow into his abdomen, I turned as he backed up a few steps clutching his stomach with his hand. His friend released the other two girls who backed away as the second trespasser rushed to his friend's side.

The brunette glanced up at me with his eyes narrowed as he glared. I only smiled with satisfaction as I set my feet firmly on the ground, at a fighting stance. I had been taking karate lessons for about a year and a half, so I was ready if these two men wanted to brawl. The brunette then stood up straight and rushed over to my with his hand clenched ready to punch me, but I dodged, and grabbed his arm, flipping him over. The two girls gasped in shock as the brunette lay there in a daze, with the breath knocked from him.

He slowly sat up and then he turned to his black-haired friend. "Looks like this kitty's got claws," he spoke more to me than his friend.

Then he stood up while I charged at them, and then jumped in the air landing a swift kick to the black-haired stranger's stomach; and then as the brunette reached out to grab me when I landed, I ducked and then swung my leg around, tripping him. I smirked as I saw the two men on the ground, but obviously, they weren't ready to give up just yet.

Suddenly, I heard Tamaki call out, "Katherine!"

I turned my head to find the Host Club rushing up the rock formation, but I had to quickly turn my attention back to the two men when I noticed from the corner of my eye that one was starting to get up. "You little brat!" he spoke, rushing over to me,

I set my feet on the ground and then pushed off, doing a back-flip, before he could land a swift kick to my face. Landing on my feet, I stood up while the brunette began tossing punched toward my face. I swiftly moved my head back as I held up my forearm blocking his punch; and then, I whirled around on one heel with my free leg extended, knocking the brunette to the ground.

I stood up straight and smirked with satisfaction. These two drunks were no match for me. Apparently, they underestimated me, because I was much stronger and skilled than at a first glance. I waited for a moment, but the brunette never got back up to his feet, so I presumed that I knocked him out. Well, one down, one to go.

Glancing around, I couldn't find his friend anywhere until I heard the twins' voices shriek, "K.C., watch out!"

I turned around, but I wasn't quick enough. I had only gotten a small glance at the second drunk, trespasser with a thick branch in his hand, but a split second after I turned around I felt a rough pain to the back of my head, but then nothing else.

* * *

**Trust me, the original draft of this chapter was MUCH LONGER. Plus, I love cliff-hangers like this! It just makes you wanna read more, doesn't it?**

**Yeah, I know all this happened back in Episode 8 of the Ouran Anime "The Sun, the Sea, and the Host Club!", but I was getting tired of K.C. being all lady-like for the past 6 Chapters, so I brought out her tomboyish side! Booyah!**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed reading the story so far!**


	8. Change of Plans

**Yays! Chapter 8!**

**Sorry it took so long . . . I had to re-edit a couple of things.**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoy!**

**IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR OURAN FANS AT ENDING NOTE!**

**Disclaimer: Ouran, I own nothing of. OC's I own.**

* * *

**~ Chapter 8 ~**

**Change of Plans**

Darkness. That was all that surrounded me. Not even the brightest light could illuminate the benightedness. Where was I? There were faint voices off in the distance, but I could barely comprehend what they were trying to say.

Suddenly, the base of my skull began to sting, as if the back of my head was being stuck in a freezer. The voices continued to talk amongst each other as the darkness began to fade away, bringing light and color to my vision. I moaned in pain as the stinging sensation in the back of my head transformed into a throbbing headache.

"She's waking up," two voices spoke in unison.

The voices sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite place who they belonged to; but as soon as I began to open my eyes, I had to close them for a second, blinded by the bright light that seeped my eyes. Eventually, my eyesight began to adjust, and then I opened my eyes again. My vision was a blur, but I saw seven fuzzy figures gazing down at me, but I wasn't able to discern who they were.

"Katherine-san," a calm, monotone voice spoke to my left.

I slowly, but painfully, turned my head to the direction of the voice only to find yet another blurry figure. My eyesight adjusted somewhat, and I was able to discern the figure that the voice belonged to. It was a boy just about two years older than I was. He had short, neatly combed black hair, and his deep, grey eyes that were guarded by thin rimmed glasses.

"Kyoya . . . senpai . . .?" I asked weakly.

He smiled half-heartedly and nodded. Then I turned my head back and glanced around at the other six figures, which turned out to be the remaining hosts who wore their shirt that they had on that afternoon. I was lying in a royal purple, velvet couch with the twins peering down at me from the back of the sofa. Tamaki stood beside Kyoya, who sat in a chair with his hand behind my head holding what I presumed was an ice pack. Haruhi stood beside Tamaki, while Mori and Hunny stood at my feet.

"Are you all right, K.C.?" Haruhi inquired.

"I guess so," I replied. "What happened?"

"You were beating the snot out of those two uninvited guests," the twins replied. "One knocked you out, but we took care of him."

"I never expected a girl like you to be just as tough as Hunny-senpai," Tamaki commented.

I stared at him rather confused. Honey-senpai was a fighter? It was hard to believe since he looked like a harmless Elementary School student. He was just so adorably cute that no one would ever suspect that he was some kind of karate-kid. Well, he sure had me fooled. I guess that there was more to a person than meets the eye.

As I began to sit up, my head began throbbing again, and then I fell back slightly, but propped myself up on my elbow, and then I held my head in my hand.

"Take it easy, Katherine-san," Kyoya spoke.

"I'm fine, you guys," I spoke, attempting to sit up again.

This time, there was less pain. I hung my head while rubbing the back of my head with my hand, and then I blinked thinking over what had happened. Did I really get into a fight with those two trespassers? Well, at least they've been taken care of. Glancing up at the seven hosts, I smiled hoping that they would believe everything was fine with me.

"I'm still amazed that you could fight so well, K.C.-chan!" Hunny exclaimed, his brown eyes wide with amazement.

Mori grunted and nodded in agreement.

"Have you trained at a dojo or something?" Haruhi inquired.

"Oh, no, actually I've been taking karate lessons a little over a year now," I answered.

The seven hosts stared at me surprised. I was still ashamed that I even put myself into that fight, and I knew that the hosts witnessed most of it. Fighting, from what I learned with etiquette, was for the boys and _not_ ladylike at all; but someone had to do something, and I couldn't allow those girls to be harmed in any way.

"Anyway," I continued, turning and standing up. Tamaki and Haruhi backed up so that I could walk passed them. "Thanks again, you guys, especially for getting me out of that mess."

"Anytime, Katherine," Tamaki spoke, "but are you sure you'll be all right?"

"I'll be fine," I replied, smiling. "Well, good-night."

Before I could turn and leave, Haruhi stopped me. "K.C., wait." I turned around to face the group as she continued, "We're almost ready to serve dinner. Are you not hungry?"

"Not really," was my reply. "I'm actually more tired than hungry. Thank you for offering though."

"All right then," Haruhi spoke.

After we said our good-nights, I walked down the long hallways to my room. Once there I opened the door and then made my way to the bathroom to take a quick shower and ready myself for bed. Picking out my pajamas, I entered the bathroom and set my clothes on the side of the sink, and then stripped my sundress off before stepping in to the shower and turning on the water.

The water was a little cold at first, but it eventually heated up. As I lathered the shampoo in my hair, I began to think over what had occurred today. I still can't believe that I was able to take on two adult males today; well, I knocked out one, but not the other, but still I beat them down hard. Of course, I didn't want the host club to notice me fighting or else it could give me a bad image. They didn't seem to mind though, so I let it slide.

Turning the handle of the faucet to stop the flow of water, I reached for the towel, and then I dried my hair and wrapped it around my body. After drying myself off, I slipped into my pajamas, and then brushed my hair straight. Walking out of the washroom with my sundress, I packed everything into my suitcase, since Tamaki would be giving Haruhi and I a ride back to her apartment tomorrow. As I double checked to make sure I had everything, I realized that I left my messenger bag back at the rock formation; or, maybe the hosts brought it when they carried me inside the resort. Either way, I couldn't leave Okinawa without it, because my cell phone and sketchpad with my pencils were in there.

Right before I could turn to leave the room to ask the hosts if they had seen it, there was a knock at the room door. Curious to know who it was, I stood up and walked towards the door, and once I opened it, I glanced up slightly to come face to face with Kyoya Otori with my messenger bag slung on his shoulder.

"Kyoya-senpai," I spoke.

He smiled coolly, and then slid the sash of the satchel off. "I meant to give this to you before you left," he spoke, handing me the bag.

"Arigatou, senpai," I replied, smiling back as I accepted my satchel. "I was just about to walk out of here to search for it."

"Well, it's a good thing we picked it up when Mori-senpai carried you in," he replied. "Anyway, would you mind if I came in? I need to speak with you for a while."

I stared at him puzzled. Kyoya wanted to speak with me? What did he want to talk about? Maybe he wanted to talk to me about that fight and lecture me about how it wasn't ladylike for a woman to fight. Or, maybe he wanted to talk question about my heritage, meaning whether or not I came from a rich family. Hopefully it wasn't. Now just didn't seem like the right time for that. Of course, since I hadn't had Kyoya as a host, maybe he wanted to treat and entertain me for a while. Yeah, that was probably what he was going to do. I mean, I didn't know that much about him anyway.

Stepping aside, I replied with a small smile, "Come on in, senpai."

The cool-type host stepped into the room, and then I closed the door behind him. Setting my book bag in the chair at the desk, he turned to me as I walked up to him. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

"I just simply wanted to 'entertain' you for a while," he replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "It's the first night I've had where I'm not up late working on the schedule or website for the club."

I smiled slightly, understanding that he meant that last part somewhat as a joke. Kyoya pat the spacious section of the mattress that was next to him, gesturing me to sit down. Taking up his offer, I walked over and sat down beside him. Once I did though, my face began to flush a bright red since I was so close to him, but my face has blushed in front of the hosts before, except Haruhi and Honey of course. Kyoya, well, he was different though. There was just something about him that made me feel different around him than I did around the other five male hosts, but I couldn't explain what it was.

The two of us were silent for a few seconds, mainly because I wasn't sure how to start a conversation. Thankfully, Kyoya spoke up first, "So, Katherine-san, have you enjoyed your day at Okinawa."

"Yes, very much, thank you," I replied. "It's been a while since I've been to the beach."

"Do your parents not own a private beach?" he inquired.

"No," I replied. _At least, not that I know of, _I added in thought_._

"And I presume that you don't see your parents as much as you'd like to?" he questioned further.

I hung my head in sadness and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "No. It's really just me and my older brother pretty much every day."

"What sparked your interest in learning karate?"

I stared at him confused. "Why ask?"

"It's just that if you were around your brother all the time, wouldn't you depend on _him_ to protect you?"

I stared at him, until I noticed a small smirk appear on his face while the light in the room reflected from his glasses. He was on to me. By digging deeper to learn more about me, he would discover that I was only partially rich. From the grin on his face, it seemed like he had known from the start and just wanted to hear me admit it. Well, I couldn't do that; I wouldn't. Not if it was going to ruin my image at the Host Club and at school.

"What does it matter anyway?" I asked, standing up and walking to the center of the room so that my back was to him. "I mean, I just wanted to defend myself if I were ever alone and apprehended. Plus, mastering martial arts and such would help me defend myself if I were kidnapped or something. For instance, if I heard someone sneaking up behind me, I could still whirl around and do this!"

With that, I quickly spun on my heel intending to just jab my fist at nothing but space; however, I had taken Kyoya by surprise. He had been standing behind me the entire time while I lectured about learning martial arts, and I didn't even hear him! Some choice of words I had while I spoke, too. Kyoya fell back from the impact, and his glasses flew off and landed on the floor, sliding under the bed.

I gasped at what I just did, and then I quickly got onto my knees and spoke to him, "Gomen nasai, senpai," I spoke. "Here, let me get them for you."

"It's all right, Katherine-san," he replied, turning around so that he was also on his knees. "I've got it."

"I knocked them off your face," I spoke, with a small smile. "I should be the one to get them for you." I felt around under the bed for them; however, Kyoya insisted that he get them. "Senpai, please, let me take care of it," I spoke calmly, trying not to lose my temper.

With one swift move, I brushed the glasses from under the bed and then they slid across the floor in between the two of us. I set my hand on them to pick them up; but at the same time, so did Kyoya, and his hand rested on mine. Our hands stayed there for a while, and my face began to heat up, especially as I slowly lifted my hand up to look at him. He did the same, but I quickly looked away, biting my lower lip in embarrassment. The warmth from his hand was so gentle, and I didn't want him to let go of me. Eventually, though, he took his hand off, and then I picked his glasses up off the floor to examine them.

Swallowing hard, I stared at the pair of glasses. What used to be expensive, thin framed set of spectacles with flawless lenses had received a complete makeover. The lenses were a little cracked, and the little part that in the middle, which was supposed to rest on the bridge of Kyoya's nose, was nearly snapped in half. When I whirled around to give him an example of my martial arts, I must've punched straight into his glasses. He sure wasn't going to be happy about this.

"Th-they're . . ." I stuttered, unsure of what to say. "They're a little . . . scratched."

Since he obviously couldn't see well, I gently wiped the lenses of the glasses using my T-shirt, and then I held them up high pretending that I was checking for scratches or fingerprints. When I lowered the glasses and faced Kyoya, though, I had to stare at him with my mouth nearly dropped open. He sure was hot! Without the nerdy glasses, I could see his perfect gray eyes that glistened in the light. He face just looked so different without ten percent of it hogged by his spectacles. He was a totally different person.

Kyoya tilted his head in puzzlement. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, returning to Earth from my daydream. "N-nothing, senpai. It's just that . . . you look . . . better without your glasses."

He smiled coolly. "Oh?"

I nodded in reply, while the blush on my face was obviously visible. "Have you ever considered contacts?"

"No," he replied, with a small grin as he took his specs, "glasses are more my type."

Once he put on the glasses, and his eyes adjusted to the new view, his grin turned into a frown as he glanced around the room. When he faced me, I smiled sheepishly, muttering a small "oops". Man, was I in deep trouble now! Without a single word, Kyoya took out a pen from the pocket in his shirt, and he wrote something on his hand. I knew that it had something to do with how much I owned him for a new pair of glasses, or at least the price to get the ones he had repaired.

"Kyoya-senpai," I spoke. "I'm very, truly, sorry about what I did. I'll pay you back."

"With what money?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow

I stared at him as my face began to grow hot. Had he figured me out? Did he know from the start, or did he catch on? I glanced away slightly, trying to come up with something; but when I looked back at Kyoya, I saw that he had a smirk on his face as he gazed at me.

"You're not rich, are you, Katherine-san?" he inquired.

"Well, I . . ." I began. My voice trailed off, and then I looked down ashamed. There was no way of getting around him. "No."

"I assumed not," he spoke, pocketing his pen and standing up.

Also rising to my feet, I watched as he turned and headed straight for the door. I stared at him in shock and surprise. I fooled the other five male hosts, but not Kyoya. He was most likely going to tell them later this week, maybe even tomorrow when everyone was gathered together to say farewell. But, I still couldn't understand how he figured me out so quickly. I mean, I didn't mention anything to him about my past; and Haruhi promised not to tell, and I trusted her. He had to have figured it out somehow.

Before Kyoya could turn the knob and exit the room, I stopped him, "Wait." He did as told and turned to me. I stared at him solemnly with curiosity in my voice as I continued, "How did you know?"

Kyoya only plastered on a grin and walked back up to me. "I do research on all of our customers in host club," he answered. He stopped in front of me and his eyes behind the broken lenses met mine, as he added, "You enrolled in Ouran on a scholarship, entering in Class 1-A. There was nothing I could find about your parents, just your guardian, who I assume is your older brother. You're a commoner, Katherine-san, just like Haruhi."

I stared at him for a while longer. What I dreaded since the day I stepped foot into the Academy has finally come true. Now until the end of the school year, I would be known as "the commoner"; more like "the _other_ commoner". Of course, that was only half true, so Kyoya only had half of the evidence. I didn't want to explain everything to him, because eventually I'd have to explain everything to the rest of the host club; but, I might as well get started.

"Not as much as a commoner as you'd think, senpai," I spoke, keeping a calm voice.

Kyoya's smirk faded, and he raised an eyebrow in confusion. Haruhi told me that Kyoya was known as the Shadow King, always a few steps ahead of everyone, just like a chess-playing champion. If something stepped out of line in his plan, he could quickly thing of an alternate route. He had multiple plans so that if the first one failed, he could try the next one. But now, I had him right where I wanted him.

"You may have your evidence, Otori-san," I spoke, and then a small smirk played on my face as I added, "But, you don't have the full story."

"Oh?" he asked, keeping a straight face.

I nodded in reply. "I may not be rich now; but if you research my parents, you'll find that they were indeed wealthy millionaires," I explained. "The story goes like this. My brother lived in the mansion for almost seven years, but he ran away because he couldn't stand living under the constant rules of being a proper gentleman. I, however, only lived in the mansion for five years before I crossed paths with my brother. So, yeah, I may live in a middle-class society, but at least I'm happier than I ever was and could be."

Kyoya stared at me rather astounded, and I smirked realizing that I may have been the first one to ever place him in checkmate. Every word of it was true. Besides, having a family who cares about me was better than living in a giant mansion surrounded by expensive and fancy material things that weren't that important.

There was silence, and then I placed a hand on my hip. "Don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you," Kyoya replied.

I stared at him and then the broken pair of glasses that rested on the bridge of his nose. "So, how much do I owe you?"

"Tallying up the warranty along with the new lenses and frame," he spoke, using his mind as a calculator. "The total cost would be 300,000 yen."

My jaw nearly dropped open as I stared at him in shock. _What? Does he think that I'm some sort of bank?_ I pondered. _I don't have that kind of money! I mean, 300,000 yen here in Japan is –let's see move the decimal over two spaces– $3,000 back home. How the heck am I supposed to pay him back?_ Kyoya's glasses must've been expensive, (well, he is rich after all. I mean, a normal pair of glasses back home is only about $200).

I sighed, and then asked, more to myself, "Where in the world am I going to get _that_ kind of money?"

"Well, you could always pay it off with hard labor," Kyoya spoke simply.

"What kind of labor?" I inquired, rather fearful of what he had in mind.

"Are you well with cooking?" Kyoya asked.

I stammered to reply. Was I good at cooking? Well, Joe taught me how to cook before; plus, all the hosts served were cakes, so baking cakes and such wouldn't be much of a hassle. I mean, I've read ingredients on the back of the boxes of desserts, so following a few instructions wouldn't be too hard.

"Y-yeah," I stuttered to answer. "I . . . I can cook."

"Then it's settled," Kyoya spoke with that smirk. "From this moment on until your debt is paid off, you are officially the Host Club's chef."

"Why would you guys even need a chef if you have the cakes pre-made?" I inquired.

"The pastries we order for the club may be baked in the finest bakery," Kyoya explained, "but just having the cakes themselves shipped over and prepared by someone else saves money."

_Is profit all he ever cares about?_ I pondered. Well, at least I wasn't forced to dress as a boy and offer fake-love to the ladies. Cooking for the club didn't sound like much work; of course, I never had cooked desserts or pastries in my life. Well, as long as I had instructions in front of me, I would be all right.

"Well, I might as well get used to it," I spoke, sitting down on the bed. Sighing, I collapsed on my back on my bed. "For just once in my life, I wanted to experience what it felt like to be a rich girl. I don't remember practically anything about living at the estate with my parents, and my brother got to experience everything. Well, the oldest sibling gets the birthright. That's how it was, is, and always will be. I kept my identity a secret because I didn't want to be 'the other commoner'. Even Haruhi promised not to tell anyone as long as I kept _her_ secret. Now, my secret is out." I stopped, allowing a few tears to run down the side of my face and then I quickly sat back up and glared at Kyoya. "So go on and tell the rest of host. Tell the whole school! See if I care!"

With that, I grabbed a pillow and hurled it at the cool-type host. He flinched, but caught it, and stared at me while I flung myself onto the bed with my head on the pillows. My back was turned to him and I buried my face in the pillow as tears poured from my eyes. For once, at least the first term of the school year, I just wanted to be treated like a rich kid like everyone else was, except Haruhi. Now that Kyoya knew, he would obviously spill everything out to everyone.

Neither of us spoke a word to each other; however, I was crying so hard I couldn't hear the door close if he left the room. As I began to calm down, I felt the presence of the Shadow King behind me.

I turned over slightly to find that he hadn't moved from his place. I scowled at him. "You're still here?"

Kyoya only smirked and moved his hand up to push his glasses up (force of habit maybe); however, he withdrew his hand, remembering that his specs were damaged. "You _do_ know our little secret then?"

"About Haruhi being a girl? Yeah, I figured it out on day one," I answered flatly, sitting up to face him.

"You should consider yourself lucky. If the club had discovered that another student knew Haruhi was female, you would've been working for the club sooner."

I paled at the thought. Man, these guys were strict about keeping secrets. Well, Haruhi did owe a huge amount of money to the club, so it was no wonder why they had to keep her secret for as long as possible. Now that I knew Haruhi's secret _and_ had my own debt to pay off, I'd be pretty busy at school during the afternoon.

"You can try to run away back to America, Katherine-san," Kyoya began again, with that smirk still plastered on his face. "But I'll have you know that my family employs a private police force of one-hundred officers."

My face grew even paler, almost white as a ghost. Kyoya sure meant business with this whole debt and secret concept. I mean, that may have not been an injury type of threat, but, boy, it sure felt like one. If Joe discovered that I was sentenced to life in prison under the Otori's police force, he'd flip out! My brother would have to work double . . . no, triple times as much as he normally worked just to bail me out. Heck, Kyoya could order the sentence to be permanent. I swallowed hard as the sound of the prison bars clanking into place as they locked tight.

Banishing the thoughts from my mind, I sighed. "Fine . . . I'll keep Haruhi's secret _and_ be the club's chef."

"Excellent," Kyoya spoke, grinning. Then he turned halfway. "I'll have to inform Tamaki about it, and you'll begin work first thing Monday afternoon. You'll have to be at the Third Music Room half an hour before hosting hours begin to prepare everything."

After that, he turned and exited the room. I watched him leave, sticking my tongue out at his back until he shut the door. Sighing, I flopped backwards onto the mattress and stared up at the canopy over my head. What in the world had I gotten myself into? If I had just _told_ him why I took karate lessons instead of _explaining_ it, I wouldn't have broken Kyoya's glasses. Then again, I still would've had to be careful about spilling out to the other hosts that I knew Haruhi's secret, because I still would've had to work for the club.

Still, working for the Host Club ruined my entire after school plan for the year, so I wouldn't have the chance to choose my "preferred type" or spend time with the hosts. From now on I'd be working "behind the scenes" and watch the other customers chat while I was busy in the back room preparing all those cakes. I would be sure to relax tomorrow once I got back to my apartment because Monday would be an entire day of torture, so I had to get enough sleep to keep myself awake.

As soon as I thought about resting on Sunday, my eyelids closed as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Oooooh . . . Katherine got in trouble . . .**

**Well at least it wasn't a vase she broke! :)**

**Anyways, review if you'd like, or if there is some tweaking/grammatical errors/typos I need to do, please point that out!**

**Hope you guys liked it!**

**Oh, BTW. I know you guys are wondering about the "IMPORTANT MESSAGE!" thing. Don't worry it's nothing ridiculous ;). But, I know a lot of you like to read a lot of Ouran fanfics, so I'm giving you a few recommendations. There are a lot of fanfics out there that I've read and LOVED! So, here are a few for you Ouran-fans to check out!**

**~ . . * . . ~**

"**All's fair in Love and War" **

**Written By: mori-princess359**

**Pairing: KyoyaxOC**

**Summary: It takes place during the anime, so every chapter is like every episode, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's boring! You get to walk with the protagonist and what she thinks and feels about what's going on the way she sees it.**

**~ . . * . . ~**

"**The Ouran Outcast"**

**Written By: ILuvKaoruxHikaru**

**Pairing: HikaruxOCxKaoru**

**Summary: Although complete. I've read this story AT LEAST three times already. It's a touching story about a typical girl who falls for the Hitachiin brother, except she can't decide who she'd want to be with more. I'm not telling you who she picks ;). You have to find out on your own!**

**~ . . * . . ~**

"**Ouran High School Host Club: The Lyrical Beauty"**

**Written By: Hiruka**

**Pairing: HikaruxOC**

**Summary: This one's also complete, but I know there are A LOT of twins/twincest fangirls out there ;). The ending of this one always brings me to tears . . . of joy that is! Why? I'm not telling! No one likes a spoiled story. :P**

**~ . . * . . ~**

"**Starting Over"**

**Written By: LookOutShe'sGotAPen (AKA: LOSGAP)**

**Pairing: TamakixOC, MorixOC, KyoyaxOC**

**Summary: Lots of chapters . . . But full of LAUGH OUT LOUD randomness! There are a couple of romantic moments in there (15% maybe), but the rest if full of humor! I could barely get through half a chapter without bursting out laughing! XD. It's definitely a story for those of you who love music!**

**~ . . * . . ~**

"**Warped Reflections"**

**Written By: Aurora-16**

**Pairing: HikaruxOC, KaoruxOC**

**Summary: Not many chapters up yet, but it's definitely a page-turner! It's a great fic, comparing the Hitachiin twins with two OC twins, who don't get along like the brothers . . . But, I'm definitely enjoying it so far!**


	9. First Day on the Job

**Hey, guys!**

**Since it took forever to post Chapter 8, I felt like I owed you guys. So I'm posting Chapter 9 and 10!**

**Anyways, here's the next part!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or the hosts :(. They rightfully belong to the talented Bisco Hatori.**

**Claimer: I DO own Katherine/K.C., Joe, Mackenzie, and any other OC that isn't mentioned in the anime or manga.**

* * *

**~ Chapter 9 ~**

**First Day on the Job**

Monday soon came around the corner, and it seemed like only yesterday I was talking with Kyoya before smashing those stupid glasses of his. Now, I have to work for the Host Club to pay off my debt to him. I released an exasperated sigh as the events of that night repeatedly played in my mind.

Even as I walked down the empty halls, the Shadow King's chilling voice still echoed in my ears: 'You can try and run back to America... But, I'll have you know that my family employs a private police force of one-hundred officers...' I shuddered at the thought. There was no way of getting out of this debt. After the last class of the day was over, all hell would break out on me.

As soon as the lunch bell rang, I walked down the long, velvet red carpeted hallway to the lunchroom. I was all by myself again as I traveled, only the sound of my echoing heels on the floor accompanied me. Right before I could turn the corner, I heard three more pairs of footsteps rush down the hall. The sound grew louder as it approached me.

"Johnson-san!" cried a female voice.

Stopping, I turned to find a female students rush up to me. She was about my height with long, wavy brunette hair pulled back into a french braid. Her deep grey eyes sparkled with anxiety as she caught her breath from running down the hall.

"Can I help you with anything?" I inquired, once she stopped in front of me.

The girl quickly stood up straight, a light blush colored her cheeks as she stammered: "Oh, um... I just stopped by to say thanks for saving me on Saturday."

Raising an eyebrow, I stared at her in confusion for a while; but, then realization struck me. She was one of the girls that was being held captive by those two drunken men during the trip to Okinawa.

"It was nothing, really," I replied, with a smile while rubbing the back of my neck with my hand. "You looked like you were in trouble. The Host Club wasn't around anyway, so someone had to do something."

"Well... I can't thank you enough, Johnson-san," she spoke, bowing at the waist.

I smiled. "Like I said, it was nothing. And, you can call me Katherine, or K.C., if you want."

"Oh," the girl answered, standing back up, the color never leaving her cheeks. "I'm Tao Jinjou," the brunette spoke.

By the way she stammered to find the right words to say, she seemed at least nervous, or at least slightly timid. I wasn't sure why. I mean, I was nothing but the new girl in town.

Of course, I just had to give her a reassuring smile. "So, Tao, would you like to join me for lunch?"

Instantly, the brunette stood up straight. Her misty gray eyes widened in shock as she sated at me, like she had never been invited to anything before.

After a while though, a small smile spread across her lips. "I'd love to."

I smiled back, and then the two of us turned and walked towards the cafeteria. Patiently, I waited for Tao to order her food before we walked towards an empty table and sat down across frome each other.

An awkward silence filled the air around us as Tao and I began eating our lunch. I would give a quick glance up at her only to have her eyes lock onto mine before immediately looking back down at her food.

Tao was definitely the shy type that was for sure. Of course, I couldn't help but wonder if that was how the hsots saw me when I first walked into the doors of Ouran Academy. Sure, I was the new-girl in town and nervous around such upper-crust students; of course, like the hosts did for me, I just ahd to make her feel comfortable.

"So, Tao, how long have you been attending Ouran?" I inquired.

The brunette nearly flinched, almost not expecting me to speak up. "Oh, since Elementary School."

"I see," I remarked. "So, what class are you in now?"

"1-A."

I nearly choked on my rice when she gave her answer. Now, it was my turn to be surprised. Of course, I must've been staring at the poor girl for a while, because I noticed her blush a little and shift uncomfortable.

"So," I began, breaking the silence, "you're in imy/i class?"

Tao nodded.

Man, to think that the first trimester was nearly through and I was just now beginning to realize who my classmates were. I guess that being pressured to focus on fitting in, I failed to notice what was really going on around me.

"Well," I spoke up with a smile. "At least we'll be seeing each other again often, right? So, do you take part in any club activities."

Again, Tao nodded. "I'm in the Music Club, and... well..." she paused to fiddle with her napkin before starting up again: "Sometimes I visit the Host Club..."

"Ah, the Host Club. I hear that's a pretty popular club. So, which host do you typically request?"

"Mori and Hunny senpai."

I nodded understandingly. Well, at least I was starting a conversation with her, which, hopefully, would cause her to be more open. Hey, maybe Tao and I could become the best of friends. For the remainder of the lunch period, we chatted about classes and even the beach visit and Okinawa on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the bell had to ring, signalling the end of free-time chatting and the beginning of studying and learning. Tao and I tossed out lunch remains in the trash, and then we headed off to class together.

Of course, I knew that the last class would be the toughest to escape. I mean, I had to pack up quickly and make my way to the Third Music Room early to get started preparing the deserts for hosting hours. The rest of the school year sure would be busy since I would be working for the Host Club until it ended by six o'clock in the evening, which gave me half an hour to pack everything up, another twenty minutes to get back to my apartment, and about another hour to finish up homework. Man, it sure would be one heck of an afternoon!

**~ . . * . . ~**

When the dismissal bell rang, signaling the end of the period, I swiftly packed everything up and darted out of the room. My classroom was at the very north wing of the building while Music Room 3 was at the very south wing. Darting at top speed, I hurried down the hallways until I stood at the door of the club room. I panted from exhaustion, but I rested outside the door for a while to catch my breath. I couldn't rest for long though. The Host Club would be open in half an hour, so I needed to make myself presentable in front of them.

Inhaling deeply, I exhaled before turning the handle of the door and pushing it open. There was a bright light while rose petals swirled in the air. As the light dimmed, I came face to face with the Host Club. They weren't cosplaying this time, so they were in their regular school uniform.

"Welcome," they chorused at once.

"Ah, K.C., you're here," Tamaki's voice spoke as I stepped into the room. "You're going to have to work hard to pay off that debt."

"I don't mind at all you guys," I lied somewhat. "As long as I'm not sitting in a desk while trying to comprehend a lesson, I'm fine."

The club president chuckled and then he draped his arm around my shoulder. "Oh, Katherine, my dear, you have quite a sense of humor. Now," he added, walking me into the room and leading me to the back. "Allow me to show you where you'll be working."

There were steel double doors with round windows at the top, much like the swinging doors one would see in a chef's kitchen. I presumed that that was what it was, and then Tamaki led me inside. How a kitchen ended up in a music room, I'll never know; of course, they had dressing rooms as well, so they must've ordered both rooms to be built in for the convenience. Every appliance was sterling steel from the refrigerator to the oven and then some. Pots and pans hung from a wrought iron lattice above a steel island in the center of the white tiled room. And knives, spoons, whisks and such were laid out on the counter.

"Everything you'll need is in here, my dear," Tamaki spoke. "We laid all the appliances you'll need out for you, and the cakes are already baked and sitting in the refrigerator. So, all you need to do is ice them. Right here," he added pointing to a piece of paper taped to a cabinet. "Is a list of how many types of cakes we'll need like cheesecake, strawberry, coconut, and such; plus, how many slices of cakes we required. That's it. Do you have any questions, K.C.?"

"No, I think I have everything, senpai," I replied, facing him with a confident smile.

"All right then, I'll let you get to work," Tamaki spoke, taking his arm from around me and turning to walk out of the kitchen. "If you need any help, just give us a call."

Then, he pushed the swinging doors open and exited the kitchen. After he left, I turned back to face the kitchen and then let out a deep breath. Taking an apron that hung on the hook by the door, I wrapped the string around my waist and tied it in the back, and then I rolled up my sleeves just above my elbows. After washing my hands, I went to the list Tamaki showed me and took it, reading it over: "2 Cheesecakes, 2 Chocolate, 2 Strawberry, each split into 8 equal slices". Well, that sounded easy, and besides, the cakes were already baked, so all I had to do was add the frosting.

Opening the door of the refrigerator I found that there were six cakes set on each of the three shelves. There were note cards hanging from the shelves too, saying what type of cake they were. First things first, I wanted to finish the cheesecakes first. Taking out the cakes, I set them each on the counter. Walking to the other side of the counter to touch up the first cheesecake, I stared at it realizing that I didn't know what the cakes looked like when they were frosted. Sure, when I was with Honey the first time we had cake, but I wasn't really paying attention to what it looked like.

I searched around for a cookbook or something that had a picture of food in it; until, at last, I found the recipe book for all the pastries made for the Host Club. Flipping through the pages, I soon found the cheesecake section with a picture of the cake at the beginning. Being a visual person, I would look at the picture as I lathered on the frosting; and then, I used the knife (which was rather long and thin-bladed than the knives I was used to), and carefully cut the cake into eight equal slices.

I set the slices on fancy, milk white plates, and began to move on to the next cake. After all three cakes were frosted, sliced, and set on the plates, I looked at them. Eighteen plates fit on that little golden cart? There were three trays, so that meant that I would have to put six slices of each cake on each tray. I presumed that the leftovers were saved for the guests and/or Honey. I mean, there were tons of girls; plus, Honey loved to eat cake, especially after club hours.

The cakes by themselves on the plates didn't look presentable; and if there was one thing that Joseph told me about cooking was that a dish always had to look presentable. So, I took out the chocolate syrup and made a thin zigzag line on two cakes and plates, and then I did the same with the rest: caramel on two, strawberry syrup on two. I did that for each of the eight slices; and then I set them on the cart.

Next came the strawberry cake. I frosted it with light pink frosting and then squeezed white icing out on the edges. To decorate it, I set one strawberry on each, and then I decorated the syrup in zigzag, the same way I did the slices of cheesecake. Setting two of each decorated cake on the trays, I placed the remaining slices in the refrigerator.

I sighed and glanced up at the wall clock. I had only been working for fifteen minutes, but I was already beginning to wear out. I still had three cakes left though, and I wasn't going to stop until they were finished. Taking out the chocolate cakes from the refrigerator, I lathered chocolate icing on it and then slicing the cake into eight pieces, I carefully and diligently squeezed dark chocolate icing on the edge of each slice. Drizzling chocolate syrup on three cakes, I decorated the remaining six: three with a dab of whipped cream on top and three left with just the icing.

After setting the cakes on the cart and placing the remaining sliced in the refrigerator, I looked at the little golden cart. It sure looked like a big pile of cakes and nothing but cakes. Well, there were only five minutes until the host club was open, so while the guests enjoyed their cakes, I would bake something else. Besides, there were leftover slices in the refrigerator if any of them needed a refill.

I pushed the cart out of the doors only to come across Haruhi on my way out. "K.C.?" she inquired.

"H-hey, Haruhi," I stuttered, a little embarrassed.

Her eyes scanned me from my rolled up sleeves, the frosting on my fingertips, and the apron, which was now blotched with multiple icing colors. Haruhi glanced back up and met my eyes, while I looked away and blushed; however, she only smiled.

"Let me guess, paying off a debt?" she inquired.

"Y-yeah . . ." I replied.

"Well, at least you're not a host," she spoke. "That takes work, trust me." I glanced back at her and smiled for being so nice, and then she continued, "So, what did you break?"

"Kyoya-senpai's glasses," I replied sheepishly.

Haruhi stared at me surprised and then asked, "Oh, really?"

I nodded, ashamed.

"Don't worry, K.C.," the female host reassured, "You'll get used to it; and besides, at least you get to hang out with the hosts more often."

I returned her warm smile with my own as thanks. One thing was for sure was that Haruhi can reassure anyone whenever times were tough. She's been there done that anyway. Now that I worked for the Host Club, we would get to hang out and chat after hosting hours for a while. Of course, I couldn't stay after for long, especially depending on my homework load.

"Anyway," Haruhi spoke, taking the handles of the cart, "I'll take this for you. You've got work to do."

"Thanks, Haruhi," I spoke, allowing her to push the cart to a section where three other carts full of cake sat. I presumed that those cakes were leftover from yesterday that the hosts brought out from the refrigerator. Afterwards, I walked back into the kitchen using my apron as a rag to clean the icing off my fingers. Walking over to the counter, I flipped through the pages of the dessert book and found sweets other than cakes. There were recipes for brownies, cookies, and all other types of pastries.

From what I've seen, all the Host Club ever served was tea and cake, and you would think that the guests would grow weary of the same thing every day. Well, since I was the Host Club's chef, I got to decide what we would serve. Besides, I was sure that the ladies would love to try out something different for once.

Quickly flipping to the brownie page, I grabbed the ingredients I would need to make them. I didn't have to rush this time since the club only served cakes, for now, and there were other slices left over in the refrigerator. After I was finished with these treats, there would be a wide variety of delicious sweets to choose from. Preheating the oven to the corresponding temperature, I greased three pans, one for plain brownies, one for brownies with nuts, and one for brownies with powdered sugar on top; and after that, I added the melted chocolate. I mixed together the other ingredients in a bowl and then poured it into each of the pans. The oven had three separate shelves in it, so I was able to set each tray in.

Setting the timer for the corresponding time, I began to prepare the cookies one chocolate chip, one peanut butter, and one sugar. The cookies would only bake for about ten minutes, but at least there were two ovens so I wouldn't have to wait for the first one to finish with the brownies. The second oven was the same as the first, three shelves, so I set each pan on the shelves and set that timer for ten minutes.

I leaned up against the counter and sighed with exhaustion. I had been working in the kitchen for at least an hour; and as I peered out the window to the carts, they were nearly empty. Leaning my back against the cabinet, I released a deep breath, and then I heard the sound of two pairs of footsteps approaching the door.

"Cake refill for table Hitachiin," two voices spoke at the same time.

I turned to find the twins pushing an empty cart into the kitchen. The stood straight up with those grins they had plastered on their faces all the time. I stood up and straightened my apron, making myself look presentable.

"All right, coming right up, boys," I spoke with a smile.

While I turned to get the cakes out of the refrigerator, the twins wandered around the kitchen and sniffed the air. "What're you making, K.C.?" Hikaru inquired curiously.

"Oh, just some brownies and cookies," I replied, setting the cakes on the cart.

"Why?" Kaoru questioned further.

"Well, it just seemed that all you guys have here is cake," I replied with a small smile. "So, since the Host Club has a variety of young men to choose from, why not a variety of desserts, too?"

The twins smiled. "Smart thinking."

"You do have a little bit of chocolate on your face though," Hikaru added, tapping his cheek with his finger, indicating where the icing was.

I was about to grab a rag to wipe it off, but then Kaoru seized my hand gently and observed the sugar and chocolate from when I was making the brownies. "Here," he spoke, gently lifting my hand up to his head, "Let us take care of it."

And with that, he showered my hand and fingertips with gentle kisses, and flicked his tongue on my fingertips to get the icing off. My heart began to race at the way he was pampering me, and it beat even faster when Hikaru took my chin in his hand and gently licked the icing from my cheek. Blush appeared on my cheeks as the boys continued, but at least the buzzer saved me.

"All right, boys, that's enough," I spoke, while playfully pushing Hikaru off of me.

Kaoru released my hand and the two assisted me with taking the hot trays out of the oven. I organized the cookies on one plate, and I did the same with the brownies. I set the plate of brownies on the cart beside the cheesecake, and the brownies on the second shelf beside the strawberry cake.

"Okay, everything is set and ready to go for you two," I spoke, standing up.

"Thanks, K.C.," Hikaru spoke.

"We'll take the cart out for you," Kaoru added.

"Thanks, you guys," I spoke.

With that, they exited the kitchen. I peered through the window and watched them take the cart over to their customers. One of the girls I recognized was Reina, and each customer was served a slice of cake, and a cookie and brownie of their choice. I couldn't hear well; but, pushing the door open slightly, I caught some comments of the brownies, and my face just lit up glad that my dessert didn't send them to the bathroom puking.

After that, I strode over to the counter and organized the remaining cookies and brownies on plates so that when Haruhi, or whoever, came in with an empty cart, I would simply place the plates on the trays along with the cakes.

Five minutes later, the kitchen door opened, and I looked up, but grimaced at who it was. Of all the people who had to wheel the cart in, it had to be the Shadow King.

"How is your first day going, Katherine-san?" he inquired with that smirk.

"Fine, Kyoya-senpai," I replied flatly. Then I noticed that he was wearing a new set of specs. "I presume that you had spare glasses for today."

Kyoya nodded in reply, but then he looked over to the counter where the cookies and brownies were organized on the plate. "What are you making here?" he questioned, walking over to the counter.

"Oh, I just thought that since the club has a variety of hosts for the ladies to choose from," I explained, "there should be a variety of sweets." With that, I picked a brownie up with a napkin and set it on a plate. "Would you like to try one, senpai?"

Then, the Shadow King took a napkin, using it to pick up a brownie from off the plate. He tore off a small piece of the brownie and popped it into his mouth, while I anxiously awaited his critique while he chewed the chocolate dessert; and after he swallowed, he glanced down at me.

"Nicely done, Katherine-san," he spoke. "If you could make more of these desserts along with the cakes, then we won't have to put in extra money to pay for some of the finest ones to be shipped here."

"I'll do anything to pay off my debt, senpai," I spoke.

"Well, I'll tally up your profits on the desserts and get back to you on your pay," Kyoya spoke.

With that, he turned and walked out the double doors. Afterwards, I loaded the cakes, cookies, and brownies onto the cart, organizing them in a decorative way, and then I pushed the cart out of the kitchen and parked it next to a column in the middle of the room. Afterwards, I began to make my way back to the kitchen, and then I turned and glanced over at the hosts and their customers as they ate every single dessert on the cart, especially at Honey and Mori's table. I sighed knowing that this was going to be one heck of a school year.

~ . . * . . ~

Once hosting hours were over, I hung the apron up on the hook and packed the newly baked cakes into the refrigerator for decorating and slicing tomorrow. Since the customers loved the brownies and cookies, I packed a few of them into the refrigerator as well so that when I organized them on the cart and sent it off to the customers, I would be back in the kitchen preparing another batch.

Pushing open the doors to the kitchen, I picked up my messenger bag and slung the strap over my shoulder only to be nearly knocked over by Hunny as he jumped and clung onto me. "K.C.-chan, those were the best treats ever!"

"Thanks, Hunny-senpai, glad you liked them," I spoke, managing a smile.

"Would you like to hang out with us for a while?" the Loli-shota asked, gazing up at me with his big, copper eyes.

"I'd loved to, but I've got homework to take care of."

"That's okay." Then, he let go of me and stood in front of me. "There's always tomorrow, right?"

I smiled down at him. "I'll just have to see how much homework is piled up on me tomorrow." Then I crouched down on my knees so that I was at his level, and then I smiled, "But, you know I'd never miss a tea party with you, Mori, and Usa-chan."

Hunny's smile spread from ear to ear as he threw his arms around me and hugged me tightly. "Hooray! I can't wait!"

Once he released me, I stood up and walked over to the other hosts, excluding Kyoya who distanced himself as he typed whatever he was typing on his laptop. I said my good-byes and told them that I'd be back tomorrow at the same time, and then I took my leave. At first I saw the Host Club as a place to hang out with the hosts, not worrying about my workload; but now, I had to work for them in order to pay back Kyoya for a replacement pair of glasses. Well, at least I was getting better at my cooking.

"Katherine-san," Kyoya spoke, stopping me before I was even able to turn the knob of the door.

Curious to know what he wanted, I turned around and walked up to him. "Yes, senpai?"

"I must say that those added desserts were a huge success to the club's business," he spoke, not taking his eyes off his notes. "I passed by a few stations and overheard most of our customers complimenting on your handiwork with the treats." He closed his notebook, using one hand, and then he turned to me. "Keep up the good work and you just may pay your debt off before the Ouran Festival during the third term."

It was difficult to distinguish whether or not his smile was one of his fake ones or a genuine one. I took it as a real one, returning it with my one. Then I bowed respectfully saying that I would see him again tomorrow at the same time for work. I traveled down the hall, yet again by myself, and I thought over my time at the club. I spent at least three hours cooped up in that kitchen preparing those desserts, but it was kind of fun experimenting with how I would decorate them. Maybe I'd even suggest a request from the customers on a special type of dessert they would like; of course, I wasn't that good of a chef. For now, I just had to see what tomorrow would bring.

Once I arrived at my dorm, I tossed my book bag onto the bed and sighed with exhaustion. That had to have been the longest afternoon of my entire life. I felt like those girls were never going to leave, which pressured me even more as I continued to prepare the cakes. Well, at least it was over now, and I could finally get my school work done and go to bed. If every school day was going to be as hectic as today was, then I should probably set up a schedule for myself.

After unpacking, I quickly got started on my homework. It took about two hours to finish this time, and once it was complete and ready to turn in the next day, I packed it into my bag. After taking a quick shower, I climbed into bed thoroughly exhausted about the events that occurred today. Well, it was like working out in a gym, the first day is tough, and the second day is tougher because you're all sore, but it would become easier as the days progressed.

Hopefully, I'd pay off my debt before school ended, so that I could study for exams without feeling the pressure of studying after finishing homework at eight o'clock at night, giving me only two hours to study. I had to come up with 300,000 yen by then, whether it meant baking more than just cakes, cookies, and brownies. That recipe book was stocked with all kinds of desserts, so I could come up with a combination of sweets for the hosts and their customers.

* * *

**First day of work can exhaust anyone.**

**Anyways, rate and review guys, and if there are any typos/ grammar errors, or all that blah, feel free to point it out for me.**

**Hope you liked!**


	10. Windows of Opportunities

**Hey peoples!**

**Hope your enjoying the story so far!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran Host Club or the hosts . . .**

**Claimer: I own Katherine/K.C., Joe, Mackenzie, and any other characters who aren't mentioned in the manga or anime!**

* * *

**~ Chapter 10 ~**

**Windows of Opportunities**

The irritating buzzing of my alarm clock woke me from my dream. Groggily rolling over in bed, I groped around for the "off" switch on the clock. Once the alarm was silenced, I sat up in bed, wearily rubbing my eyes. Through the entire night, I dreamt about baking. I guess being cooped up in a kitchen for two and a half hours with the aroma of those deserts can get to you. Well, at least I had a game plan for the day: Get as much homework completed for half of lunch break, so that I wouldn't be up all night stuck on an Algebra problem.

Sliding out of bed, I dragged my legs into the bathroom to get dressed and fix up my hair. Once I was ready for the day, I walked out of the room with my messenger bag strap over my shoulder. Even though I got about ten hours of sleep last night, I felt like going back to bed. Yesterday nearly drained every last bit of energy I had in me; and even though it was just baking and cake decorating, it stretched out my school schedule big time. Well, I'd get used to this after a few days.

I was so exhausted that I couldn't even tell that I was wearily striding down the hall. It was as if I were sleepwalking. My head would sag as my eyes began to close, but I quickly jerked my head back up to stay awake and focus while walking to class so that I wouldn't bump into anything. Apparently, I unconsciously began to doze off again, but suddenly awoke when I bumped into someone else.

"Ah, gomen nasai," I spoke, standing up straight so that I wouldn't look like a slob slouching over.

The person turned at looked at me. She was a female student with flawless fair skin, and about a head taller than I was. She had shoulder length, black hair and malicious-looking hazel eyes. The top layer of her hair was pulled back in French braid. As we stared at each other, two other female students stepped out from behind her, and then stood on either side of her, as if they were her bodyguards.

The one on her left was about my height with light tan skin. She had short, light brown hair, and the top layer was used to create two identical buns on the side of her head. Her copper brown eyes were full of mischief as if deep within her mind she was plotting world domination. The sassy smirk on her glossed pink lips matched, what I sensed was, her arrogant and haughty personality.

The other female student on her right measured to be about a height in between the other two girls. She had fair skin and wavy auburn hair pulled back into a low pony tail. Her ocean blue eyes were calm, but she was probably the type that was like Kyoya, calm and quiet, but manipulative.

The girl I had bumped into tilted her head slightly, and then sighed as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. "First Year?" she questioned.

"Um . . . y-yes," I replied.

"Figured," black haired girl spoke. "I assume a student not from Ouran, correct?"

"Yeah . . ." I replied, a little confused about why she would be bringing _that_ up.

"Well, that answers everything," she said flatly. "Only a newbie to the school would clumsily fumble through these halls."

The other two girls snickered while their leader glanced from the two of them with a devious smile on her face. As soon as she looked back at me with that exact same grin, something finally clicked on inside me. This girl was obviously the ring leader of her clique, and the three of them combined equaled mean girls. It didn't take a math genius to figure it out. The first thing that popped in my mind was think of something to say to end the conversation quickly and head on to class. Ever since I received that scholarship, I made a promise to myself not to become involved with mean girls.

"I'm getting well acquainted with the area," I spoke, trying to keep calm. "Even the Host Club helps me out every once in a while."

The three girls stared at me surprised, and I smirked on the inside knowing that I tossed their little teasing into the corner. The Host Club was well known among the female students in the high school, so they had to be surprised that I knew the hosts well. I mean, we were good friends, and they treated me like family.

The black-haired girl grinned mischievously. "Ah, so you're friends with the hosts then?"

I nodded in reply. "They're really nice guys. I've never known a single person in the world who hates them. They're just so lovable!"

"Who's your favorite?" the brown-haired girl questioned.

"I bet it's the twins or Tamaki-kun," the auburn-haired student replied.

"Actually, I don't have a favorite," I admitted. "To me, they're all great. Since I transferred from . . . another school, I miss my old friends, but I'm making new ones here, especially with the Host Club."

"Aww, how sweet," the ring-leader spoke nonchalantly, wiping a "tear" from her eye. "You sure have a way with words, um . . . Pardon me, I didn't catch your name."

"Katherine," I replied, with a smile. "Katherine Johnson."

"Kimiko Harikoshi," the black-haired student spoke.

"I'm Momoka Latoya," that auburn-haired girl spoke.

"And I'm Ochira Tekinawa," the light-brown haired student ended. "The three of us are second-years."

"Pleased to meet you three," I spoke with a small smile. _Maybe I could get on these girls' good sides._

Of course, I didn't want to get involved in their little clique, or else I might end up influenced by them, under peer pressure and become a mean girl myself. I just had to be nice to them, and if they ever teased me in the future, I'd let it slide. If there was one thing I knew about mean girls, it was that they loved to see their victim react to a rumor or a taunting remark; but if I acted as if it didn't affect me, they'd move on to someone else.

"So," Kimiko began as the four of us walked towards our classrooms together. "Is the Host Club the only club you visit in the afternoon?"

"Yes," I replied, trying not to give away too much information. "I don't know much about the other clubs though."

"You should check out the Stellar Club," Ochira suggested.

"What's the Stellar Club?" I inquired.

"It's one of the newest clubs this year," she replied. "It's basically a club that establishes fine arts such as singing, dancing, and acting."

"It was inspired by the Zuka Club at St. Lobelia Academy," Momoka added.

"Sounds interesting," I said, "but, I don't have any musical or theatrical talents."

"That's all right," Momoka reassured, rather cheerfully. "The Stellar Club isn't just a club; it's also like a class. We all practice singing, and once a month we hold talent shows."

I thought about it for a moment. I never in my life had I attended any sort of signing or musical classes, so I wasn't sure if I was good at acting or anything theatrical. Of course, I couldn't join the club since I was busy trying to pay off my debt for the Host Club. Maybe, I could prepare the cakes and deserts for the next day at the end of club hours, so that the hosts themselves can organize them on the cart. That way, I'd have the deserts completed and ready to go, while I spend time at the Stellar Club.

"I'll think about it," I spoke.

"Well, it was nice meeting you and getting to talk to you, Johnson-san," Ochira spoke.

"Yeah, and maybe you can stop by the club for a while just to see what it's all about," Momoka added.

"It'll depend on how much homework I have to complete," I replied. "But, I'll try to squeeze in a time this week to pop in."

"Great," said Kimiko. "It's held in the 2nd Dance Studio on the north wing of the building. Hope to see you then."

With that, the girls took their leave and I stood in front of my classroom door watching them strut down the hallway. Definitely snobby, rich girls, but they seemed nice; however, I couldn't let their little act come on to me, because once if I showed that I was better than them, they'd become jealous. After all that, my life would be a living hell of rumors spread and teasing. That's all they'll do. They'll make fun of others just to make themselves feel good.

The Stellar Club continued to play in my mind. As much as I wanted to try it out, I knew that I had my obligations to the Host Club and paying off my debt. Of course, there were ways that I could still pay off my debt to the hosts and still visit the Stellar Club. I didn't have much interest in singing or dancing and such, but it sounded like fun. Maybe, I would stop by and see how everything was before deciding if I wanted to join or not.

Releasing a deep breath, I knew that I'd figure out how I would tie everything together by accomplishing my duties at the Host Club while secretly popping in to see the Stellar Club in action. I then turned and opened the door to my classroom and took a seat at the back like always.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Classes were the same like how they always were, and I tried to fight back the weariness from falling asleep in the middle of the lecture. I fought just enough to keep my eyes open, and by the time lunch break came around, I made my way down the hall to the cafeteria, where I met up with Tao, Reina, and Akira again. We sat together at a table and confabulated more about the host club, and such until the ending of lunch.

Afternoon classes were a synch, since I had enough energy to keep myself from nodding off in class, and eventually, I made it to the end of school. Packing up my things, I rushed down the hall to the Third Music Room, and stopped to catch my breath. Afterwards, I opened the door to find that the entire room had been transformed into a tropical paradise with palm trees, and real tropical birds.

_Must be today's cosplay,_ I thought to myself as I gazed around the room.

Suddenly, Hunny jumped up and hugged me, like how he normally would, and squealed, "K.C.-chan!"

"Hey, Hunny-senpai," I spoke.

The Loli-shota host released me and stood in front of me. I saw that he was topless, wearing a long, grass skirt with matching anklets and wristlets. He wore a flowery necklace with pink, tropical flowers. I glanced down at the pink rabbit he held in his hand by its stuffed arm to find that it had a matching outfit.

"What do you think of my Hawaiian outfit, K.C.-chan?" asked the boy Lolita, while twirling around.

"You look super cute, Hunny," I answered, smiling down at him.

The Lolita host grinned widely, and then he took my hand and led me to the rest of the group. The other six hosts were wearing the exact same outfits, except for Haruhi and Kyoya. The leis around their necks were different colors too; for instance, Tamaki's was white, Hikaru's was a light blue, Kaoru's was a pale orange color, Haruhi's was crimson red, Mori's was a gray color, and Kyoya wore a lavender lei.

Haruhi and Kyoya weren't dressed in the grass skirt attire like the others; instead, they wore khaki Capri's, and tourist shirts. Either way, I still felt like I was in a Hawaiian Paradise. The Host Club sure had a way with making things look so realistic; in fact, I actually felt like I was in a tropical paradise.

"So, K.C., what do you think of our island cosplay?" Tamaki inquired, posing dashingly.

"I think that it's a great idea," I complemented, "Even though it's only June, the guests will feel like they're already on summer vacation."

Suddenly, I, once again, found myself being swung around in the host club president's arms. "I just knew that you'd love it, Katherine-chan!" he cried with delight.

"Thanks, senpai," I replied. "Now, could you please stop spinning? I'm starting to get a headache."

Tamaki did as bidden, and I steadied myself on the ground from the dizziness. Afterwards, I turned to the group, "Well, I guess I'd better head to the kitchen and start preparing the brownies and cakes and everything."

"On the contrary, Katherine-san," Kyoya spoke. I stopped, and turned to him puzzled. His 'evil mastermind' grin spread across his face. "Since we are cosplaying today, you will prepare the desserts accordingly."

"So, let me get this straight," I spoke. "When you guys cosplay, I have to bake sweets and such that is the same as the theme?"

"Precisely," Kyoya replied. "Don't worry, though. We've already gathered the ingredients you'll need."

I sighed. "All right. I'll get started on it."

With that, I strode over to a beach shack constructed out of bamboo and topped with a straw roof. I found my apron hanging by the string on the hook, along with a violet tourist shirt with green sea shells printed on it. On it was taped a note which read:

_Didn't want you to feel left out. ;) _

_~ H & K._

I smiled, inwardly thanking the twins for being considerate, and I would be sure to _personally_ thank them after club hours. Taking the outfit off the hook, I slipped on the green shirt over the top part of my dress, and then I tied the apron around my waist. Stepping into the shack, I found a Hawaiian recipe book with some pages already bookmarked. I guess Kyoya wanted specific desserts served this time. I flipped to the marked pages finding recipes for Macadamia Coconut Cake, Guava Chiffon Cake, and other Hawaiian desserts that were difficult for me to pronounce.

Without hesitation, I set the book on the counter and began to prepare the tropical sweets and drinks. The cakes were fun to decorate with pineapple slices on top and some with a caramel coating. The drinks that would be served were Banana Mango Smoothies, Pineapple Iced Tea, Mai Tai, and others. Each beverage had a little umbrella on the side along with the straw.

After an hour, I had already set out the cakes and treats on the back counter along with the drinks. Kyoya stated that the hosts would come up to order the drinks for their guests, so that none of the ladies would notice that a female was working for the Host Club. If a single hint about that slipped through the school, it would most likely arouse the girls to beg the hosts to hire them. It was a good thing Kyoya had my secret covered; literally, because the shack was hidden behind palm trees, ferns, and tropical flowers.

I could hear the guests confabulating with their requested hosts, and squealing every once in a while, which obviously came from Tamaki's station. I sighed, wishing that I was with the twins, since it was their month; but all of that changed when I broke Kyoya-senpai's glasses and had to pay off a debt of 300,000 yen. Well, it couldn't get any worse than it was now. Besides, each host dropped in every once in a while to say "hi", as well as order what their guests wanted. There would be brief chats before they turned and went back to their station, but it was nice seeing them all rather than requesting one per month.

As soon as club hours were halfway over, I found myself decorating the cakes and setting the little umbrellas in the drinks. While I set everything up at the back counter, making sure that I had a good amount of everything needed, a calm, monotone voice startled me. "Katherine," it said.

At first I thought it was Kyoya, but it was too deep for Kyoya's voice. When I turned around, I found Mori standing there at the bar. It took a while to digest everything, since I rarely heard him speak; but after a few moments, I put on a smile and walked up to him. "What could I get for you, Mori-senpai?"

"Iced tea and chiffon cake please," he answered with a small smile.

"All right, coming right up," I said, turning and searching around for a tray. Once I had everything set, I turned back to the tall, silent host with a grin still on my face. "Here you go," I ended, setting the tray on the bar.

Mori gladly took the tray, but he didn't turn around to walk back to his table. Instead, he asked, "Do you enjoy working for the club?"

I stared at him somewhat surprised. Never had I heard Mori-senpai strike up a conversation like this; of course, because of his silent nature, it could be a quick brief discussion. When I first met the Host Club, Mori and Hunny were my first hosts, and the stoic host rarely spoke one word through the entire day. I simply found it rather uncanny that he would start up a conversation, especially with me.

"Sort of," I replied. "I mean, paying off the debt is the only downside to it. When I first joined, I wanted to get to know each host a little better, since you all had your different types and personalities. Another thing is that the club is my home away from home. I live hundreds of miles away from here, and even though I've been away from home before, I was suffering major homesickness the first few weeks. But, once I started hanging out with you guys, I've felt like I'm home." I sighed happily, thinking about my brother, and then I glanced back up at Mori-senpai with a grin, "Even though I planned on requesting a host monthly, it's great hanging out with all seven of you guys at once."

Mori returned my grin, and then he placed his hand on top of my head, tousling my hair. After that, he turned and walked back over to his station. As soon as his figure vanished behind the palm trees, I sighed. When he tousled my hair, it reminded me of how Joseph would do that; but, like I said, I had my six substitute brothers here with me. Haruhi was more of a sister.

The rest of the host club ran smoothly and normally like how it did everyday; and by the time the Host Club was closed, there were only a few slices of cake left for Hunny. I sighed, exhausted from the long day, and then I untied the apron and hung it up along with the green tourist shirt. Working at the host club was definitely going to take some time to get used to; and with the offer for dropping by the Stellar Club, I'd have to prepare the deserts the day before so that the hosts could load them onto the trays themselves.

Slinging my satchel over my shoulder, I strode out from behind the counter and through the tropical jungle. Before I turned the corner where the hosts were confabulating, the ground shook violently. I endeavored to keep my balance as I carefully walked towards the hosts to ask what in the world was going on. Suddenly, a circular platform rose from the floor, and I quickly concealed myself behind some bushes, peering through an opening to see what was going on.

The tremors ceased, and I spotted a female student on top of the platform gazing down at the hosts and blabbing about something or other. She was pale skinned with light brown hair, with the top layer tied with a large, pink bow. I couldn't distinguish anything else about her since I was far away from where she stood. Quietly creeping through the bushes, I came closer to overhear what she was saying.

"–is every girl's dream, especially fan-girls like moi," she squealed with delight as stars sparkled in her eyes. "Even as small children, women dream of being swept off their feet by their prince charming, or knight in shining armor, and whisked away to a magical, fairytale palace where they live happily ever after. A princess ball is the perfect idea!"

Man, this girl was more mellow-dramatic than Tamaki. Apparently, she was just rambling on about something to do with the Hosts and such, but I ignored her and tiptoed through the jungle foliage and towards the door without being spotted by the Host Club or that kooky, drama queen girl. She continued to blab about the "princess ball" or whatever the topic was about, but I paid no mind. I had to get out of the room and back to the dorm to get started on my homework, and I unconsciously found myself gaining speed. Sadly, I was too focused on getting out of the room that I wasn't watching where I was going. I tripped over a thick root, and, slightly shrieking, tumbled into a palm tree, creating an avalanche of coconuts to fall on top of me.

Silence fell in the room after that, and I could tell that the hosts overheard the commotion (Who couldn't?). Groaning from the harsh impact, I shoved a mound of coconuts off of me, but once my hand was free, I felt my wrist being seized by a strong grip. In mere moments, I was quickly pulled out of the pile and was then gazing face to face with the Host Club president. He had one arm around my back, and then he took his free hand, which was originally holding my wrist, and caressed the side of my face.

"Are you all right, Katherine? You're not hurt, are you?" he inquired, rather calmly.

I blushed as I gazed into his sapphire eyes. It was hard to tell if he was truly concerned about me, or he was using his "host charms".

"I'm fine, senpai," I replied, keeping my cool. "Thanks for saving me from that pile of coconuts."

"Wow! Just like in a fairytale!" the light-brown-haired girl squealed as her eyes sparkled with stars. Then, she began twirling around the room, acting very over dramatic as she continued, "A fair maiden trapped under an avalanche with no hope of escape or survival is quickly rescued by her knight in shining armor and is entranced in true love!"

Once she said that last part, I blushed as I pulled myself away from Tamaki and looked away. Honestly, I was somewhat entranced, especially by his looks, but was it true love? Well, I had only known the host club for two months; Haruhi more since we hung out during lunch every other day. But, were Tamaki and I . . . meant to be? I did have a fondness for him, all of the hosts actually, except for Haruhi since she was a girl.

"By the way," the overdramatic girl spoke, walking up to me. She scanned me from head to toe. "I've never seen you around before," she continued, leveling her gaze to mine. "Are you the new second-year transfer student?"

"Actually," I replied. "I'm a first year here at Ouran. My name is Katherine Johnson."

"Nice to meet you Johnson-san," she replied, with a small smile. "I'm Houshakuji Renge." She bowed at the waist while I did the same. Once we straightened up, Renge spoke again, "So what're you doing here? It's passed hosting hours."

I stammered to answer. "I was just . . . um," I trailed off trying to think up an excuse.

Then, Kyoya stepped in. "She accidentally left her bag here and came to retrieve it."

"I see," Renge spoke understandingly.

"So. . . Why're you here?" I inquired.

"I'm the Host Club's manager, of course," she spoke proudly. "I call the shots around here. Being a fan-girl, like many of the customers here, I understand what they want, and what they see in their hosts."

"Oh," There was silence between the two of us for a while, but then I spoke back up, "Well, it was nice meeting you Houshakuji-san."

"You too, Johnson-san!" she squealed. "I hope to see you again at the Host Club!"

I chuckled weakly, and then I turned around while waving to the group as I walked towards the door. Once I exited the room, I closed the door and sighed with relief. Man, Renge sure was obsessed with personality stuff. She was . . . what do they call them? An otaku! That's it! Someone as obsessed as her must be president of the otaku club; on the other hand, she seemed like a nice girl. A little clueless too, so it was easy to slip out of the room without any questions as to why I stayed after closing hours. As long as I could keep my identity a secret, I'd pay off that debt in no time at all.

Walking down the empty halls, I began to think about schoolwork mixed in with working for the Host Club. I sure would be busy the entire school year. In fact, I would have gotten my schoolwork done before six o'clock if I hadn't have broken Kyoya's glasses. Heck, I probably wouldn't have broken them if I hadn't met the Host Club. But, I'm glad I did.

When I first stepped into this Academy, I was afraid that I would stick out and be treated like I commoner if the students knew my secret; however, when I met Haruhi and the other hosts, they treated me like family and accepted me for who I truly was. Well, as far as I understood, only Haruhi and Kyoya knew my secret; but, as long as it stayed that way, I could feel like a rich person and be at home with the hosts.

Now that I owed Kyoya a new pair of glasses, I'd be working for the club; nevertheless, at least I'd get to see them and hang out every once in a while. It sure beat requesting one group per month. I still couldn't figure out which host I preferred. They were all handsome young men, and I felt nervous around each of them. Maybe, I was crushing on all six of them. Well, by the end of the year, I knew that I'd make up my mind about which one I preferred more. Of course, I would feel more nervous and shy around Kyoya, most likely because I didn't know him very well as I did the other hosts; plus, he was a little intimidating.

One thing for sure was that I had to check out that Stellar Club. Kimiko said that it was a club where actors, singers, and dancers gather and hang out, and at times they would put on shows. It sure did sound like a lot of fun. Of course, I wouldn't know for sure unless I tried it out; but in order to drop by the dance studio where the club was held, I'd have to prepare the cakes for that day so that the hosts could set them on the carts themselves.

The one day I knew would be a perfect time to drop by the Stellar Club would be Friday since I had two tests that day. One thing I loved about test days was that it meant no homework for that subject; so, since I wouldn't have any homework that day, I wouldn't feel pressured about making sure all the cakes were together for the Host Club and how long I would be at the Stellar Club. The day would run by just so smoothly. All I had to do was stick to my schedule until then, and then prepare for that day.

* * *

**Okay, that's done.**

**Yeah, the Renge and Katherine part was a little short, but I couldn't figure out what else to put in there . . **

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed it!**


	11. The Stellar Club

**Welcome back Ouran fanfic readers!**

**I can't get my mind off of this story! I just want to keep updating, but I know that I have to slow down (and possibly make a schedule for when I update/add a new chapter). I'm trying to come up with other ideas for my other stories, but this one's just cramming up my mind! I guess I'll have to finish this one up first . . .**

**Anyways, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club . . . sadly :(**

**Claimer: I own Katherine/K.C., Joe, Mackenzie, and everyone else that isn't mentioned in the manga or anime! Yays! :)**

* * *

**~ Chapter 11 ~**

**The Stellar Club**

The week ran by smoothly and quick. Before I even realized it come around, it was Friday, and I was in the kitchen of the Host Club making sure I had all the cake slices decorated and in the refrigerator, along with the added treats. I had prepared everything yesterday during hosting hours so that I wouldn't have to worry about baking or decorating anything for today. Why? I was going to sneak out of the club room and head over to the 2nd Dance Studio for the Stellar Club. Once I knew everything was set, I quickly grabbed my bag and peered out the round window of the double doors. The hosts were grouped together with Tamaki blabbing on and acting over dramatic again, so they were most likely talking about what they would do today in the club. With them confabulating, I could easily make my getaway.

Quietly pushing the doors open, I slipped into the room and tip-toed towards the door. Once I was out those giant doors, I'd make a run for the dance studio. I mean, it was on the north wing of the campus while the Host Club was all the way at the south end. Plus, if they noticed that I left, or at least heard the door open and close abruptly shut, they'd want to discover what in the world was going on.

I managed to slip out into the hallway, I quietly shut the door behind me; but before I could turn around and leave, a low, monotone voice spoke to me, "Going somewhere, Katherine-san?"

Whirling around, startled, I found the Shadow King standing there with that grin on his face. "Oh, Kyoya-senpai, I didn't know you were out here," I spoke, trying my best to hide the fact that I was leaving. Apparently it was too obvious, so I had to come up with an excuse. "I was just . . . um, heading over to the washroom."

"Well, don't take too long," he spoke, with that smirk still on his face. "The club is opening in five minutes."

"Don't worry," I spoke, slowly stepping sideways. "Most of the deserts are already prepared; so if I'm not back in time, feel free to organize them on the carts."

With that, I turned and walked down the hall. One thing I knew for sure about Kyoya was that nothing got through him. Heck, he knew that I wasn't rich from the start, so hopefully I convinced him the least bit without him becoming suspicious about my disappearance. Well, all of the hosts would become suspicious if I stayed at the Stellar Club for too long; furthermore, I should probably visit that club for at least half an hour or so before heading back to the Host Club.

Once I turned the corner I sighed, glad that I was out from his interrogating gaze. Since the Host Club began in five minutes, which would most likely be the time when the Stellar Club began. Since it was just a pop-in type of visit, there was no need to rush, as long as I got there and back to the 3rd Music Room before the hosts became suspicious of my absence. So I planned to stay at the Stellar Club no more than half an hour.

As soon as I reached the 2nd Dance Studio, I took a deep breath before setting my hand on the knob. Suddenly, the handle quickly turned and both doors were flung wide open. I stared a little startled, but then I came face to face, (actually, more like face to faces), with Kimiko, Momoka, and Ochira, who all had smirks spread across their faces.

Ochira placed her hands together and cheerfully squealed, "Katherine-san! We've been waiting for you!"

"Y-you have?" I asked, timidly.

Instead of answering, the girls grabbed me and dragged me into the room, slamming the door shut behind me. I stared in awe at the club room. The dance studio looked like a normal dance room where ballet classes and such would typically be held. There was a giant wall mirror across from the door and bars set up on the right side of the room. There was a little machine set up in the left corner of the room with a television set and microphone hooked up to it. There was a low murmur female voices emanating from different spots in the room.

Kimiko then spotted one girl, and dragged me over to her while saying, "Hey, Niki!"

She turned to us and smiled. Niki has long auburn hair pulled back into a pony tail. She wore thin-framed, red glasses with rectangular lenses, and behind the lenses were glistening, hazel eyes. There were tiny freckles across the bridge of her nose and across her cheeks. She, from what I assumed, was the president of the Stellar Club, especially since she was setting everything up.

"Oh, Kimiko-san, you're here," she spoke. "Who is your friend?"

"I'm Katherine Johnson," I replied, bowing.

"Ah, so you're the one that I've heard so much about," Niki spoke. "It's nice to meet you in person, Johnson-san."

"You can call me Katherine, or K.C. if you'd like," I replied. Then, I gazed around the room. "So, this is the Stellar Club I've heard so much about. I'm surprised by how popular it is, even though it's a new club."

"Yes, it has become rather popular," Niki replied. "On the school rankings, the Stellar Club is the second most popular club in school, the Host Club being the most."

"I see. So, I hear that it was inspired by . . . the Zuka Club, correct."

Nikki nodded. "Every year in mid-June, the school holds a Performing Arts Festival, in which the Zuka Club, which hails from St. Lobelia Girls Academy, visits as well. Since, at the time, Ouran didn't have a theatric-musical club like them, I, and a few friends, decided to put together one; thus, the Stellar Club was born."

"Interesting . . ."

"So, Katherine, will you be participating in the club?"

"Oh, no, I just came to stay for a while to, you know, see how everything went."

Niki smiled. "All right, but you're welcome to participate in today's activities."

I smiled back and bowed as thanks. At that moment, the bell rang, and the students in the club sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the wooden floored stage. Kimiko dragged me over to where Momoka and Ochira sat and pulled me down beside her as she took her position between her two friends. Without hesitation, I sat down between her and Momoka, and Kimiko finally released me. I stared around at the club members for a while, and then back at Niki as she took the stage.

Picking up the microphone, which was hooked into the little machine, she cleared her throat and then spoke, "Welcome back everyone to the Stellar Club!" Everyone in the audience clapped and cheered, but then the noise died down as Niki started up again, "I know each and every one of you is excited about today, and have been looking forward to it for a very long time. Today marks the third month the Stellar Club has been in session; and to celebrate, we are going to have a karaoke contest."

Once she raised her voice to a crescendo, accenting "karaoke contest" with enthusiasm, the audience cheered as a thunderous roar of applause swept through the room. I couldn't believe how popular the Stellar Club had become in only two short months. Well, if everyone loved that Zuka Club, then there was no doubt why people would love the Stellar Club. Even though there were only girls in the room, I knew after a while, boys would file in. I mean, most of the girls I've seen swarm into the Third Music Room, which was probably half of the entire female High School students.

Karaoke contest, here? I have heard of those before. They were typically held at cafes or small restaurants, but I never actually attended one. Well, experiencing new things was what I loved the most.

"So, which daring soul shall be the first up?" Niki queried.

Twenty or thirty hands shot up and waved around wildly in the air. There were shrieks of "pick me!" or, "I want to be the first!" I just sat there and watched them. One by one, girls would walk up on stage and take the microphone. The room would fall silent as music began to play from the little stereo. Words would appear on screen as the girl sang the words correspondingly. I must say that the girls, who were brave enough to walk up and stand in front of the rest of the club and sing, had beautiful voices. Well, it was probably because they had private instructors at home, or took vocal classes here.

After the fifth girl had finished her song, the group, and I of course, applauded for her. She blushed as she walked off stage, handing Niki the microphone along the way.

"All right," Niki spoke. "Now, any other volunteers want to take the stage?"

A few other, uncalled girls raised their hands, some of them chanting "pick me". Suddenly, I felt someone seize my hand, and then they pulled it up into the air. I glanced over to see Momoka holding my wrist, and nearly yanking my arm out of joint. She was shrieking along with the crowd, but, sitting beside her, it sounded like she was three times louder than the other club members.

"Oh, Niki-chan!" she shouted. "Let's give Katherine a chance to try!"

My face flushed a pink color as I gazed at her, and then I glanced over at Kimiko and Ochira on my right, who only stared at me with smirks plastered on their faces. Quickly, turning my head to Niki, I saw that she was scanning over the crowd, until she heard what Momoka said out loud.

"All right, come on down, Katherine-san," she spoke.

Momoka set my hand down, and then she spoke to me, "Well, go ahead."

I blinked as I stared at her a little timid. "W-what?"

"You heard her," Ochira chimed in.

"Go on up there, Katherine," Kimiko added. "Unless . . . you're too chicken to try . . ."

"I'll do it."

"Then what're you waiting for?"

I stared at her, and then I glanced around the room. All eyes were on me, and I could've sworn that I could hear my own heartbeat ringing in my ears. I swallowed hard before standing up and walking onto stage. Niki handed me the microphone, which I accepted while she headed over to the little machine. While she sat on her knees and flipped through a CD case, I stared out at the girls in the audience, and then my gaze drifted to Kimiko and her gang, who were only grinning maliciously as they watched me stand there frozen on stage. I wrung my hand on the side of my dress, and I felt sweat run down the back of my neck. I was so nervous that I didn't even hear Niki speak to me until she gently tugged on the edge of my dress with her hand.

Glancing down at her, I bent down to her level as we whispered to one another, "What song?" she inquired.

I stared at her confused as I asked again, "Song?"

She nodded in reply. "You know, so you can sing it."

"Oh, yeah . . ."

It was hard to answer since I didn't know practically any Japanese songs; however, there was this one song I noticed on Hikaru's MP3 player which read: "Mata Ashita." The music was blaring from his headphones at the time, so I could hear most of the tune and lyrics. I knew the tempo and pitch from how the vocalist sung it, so I decided that that would be my song choice for this "karaoke contest".

"Uh, do you have 'Mata Ashita'?" I inquired.

Niki smiled and nodded. "Sure do. That song's been popular for quite some time now."

I smiled back as Niki inserted the disc into the machine. Instantly, pale yellow words showed up on screen. I didn't know the first verse well: but, since I memorized the tune, I would sing the lyrics accordingly. The chorus would be the easy part, since I would overhear it blaring every once in a while from Hikaru's MP3 Player.

"Are you nervous?" Niki inquired, before pressing the "Play" button.

"A little . . ." I answered.

Niki only smiled reassuringly. "You'll do fine, Katherine-san. Just watch the screen and don't pay attention to your audience. Pretend like they're not even there."

I smiled back and nodded. After pressing the "Play" button, Niki quickly rushed off stage and onto a spot to the side as music began. There was no time to calm my nerves down now. The song had a quick tempo, and I constantly had to watch the pale yellow lyrics become red as the words were sung. I sang in sync as the colors changed; in fact, as soon as I finished with the first verse, I didn't care how I sounded to the people in the audience. I felt like I was in my own world at the moment, singing my heart out to the universe, not even caring if I was terrible or not.

As soon as the song was over, there were numerous cheers. I turned to find the audience standing as they clapped violently for what seemed like hours. As Niki walked back on stage, I handed her the microphone, and walked back over to Kimiko and the others. That wasn't as nerve wracking as I thought it would be. Well, it was a little at first, but I quickly got over it. I would be sure to include the events of today in my journal, because this would be a day to remember.

Walking back to my spot on the floor, I noticed Momoka with a wide smile on her face as she spoke "She's good," to Kimiko and Ochira, who nodded in agreement; however, Kimiko grunted and scowled as she gazed down at the ground. Uh-oh, just what I was worried about. Obviously, Kimiko was jealous of me; and, from what I knew, if the "mean-girl" became jealous, it was the beginning of a downhill ride to torture. After about a week, you're there victim for the remainder of the school year.

"Hey, guys, how was I?" I asked, sitting back down between Kimiko and Momoka.

A wide smile spread across Ochira's face as she replied, "Amazing!"

Then Momoka added, "Fantastic!"

"Thanks, you guys," I spoke.

After that, I sat with them and watched other girls get up on stage and sing more songs, some fast like pop songs, and some slow, like romance songs. All of them were amazing, and when Kimiko got up on stage, I must admit that she sounded like an angel with a perfect soprano voice. Once she was finished and took her seat beside me, I complemented her on a job well done; however, she gave a sideways glance and replied with a gruff "thanks". Yep, she was definitely jealous.

One after the other, girls got up on stage, some singing the same song I had chosen. I guess the song really was popular. After five more girls sang, Niki walked back on stage and said that they had a little bit of time left before the club ended. I gasped and then turned to Momoka and asked what time it was. She took out her cell phone and flipped it open giving the time 5:45 pm. I panicked somewhat but tried not to show it. Man, the hosts were going to kill me tomorrow, especially Kyoya, and interrogate me about why I wasn't at the club.

As soon as the Stellar Club was over with, most of the female students walked out chatting about the "karaoke contest". Niki said that the panel of judges, who were most likely her friends that assisted her with creating the club, would vote on who was the best. I stayed for a little bit, while Kimiko and her followers confabulating with one another in the corner of the room. I walked up to Niki, who was just finishing up with storing everything away.

"Thanks for allowing me to observe the club, Niki-san," I spoke.

"Oh, no problem at all Katherine-san," she spoke with a smile. "You're welcome to pop in any time. By the way, you did a super job at singing. Do you take any lessons?"

"No, actually," I replied, a little sheepishly. "I kind of just sing along with the songs on my music player."

"You sang like you had been taking lessons for years," Niki commented. "You mu be your own private tutor." We both chuckled, and then the Stellar Club president spoke, "Anyway, the winners of the contest will be announced on Monday, and just to let you in on a little secret, you're in the top five."

I stared at her a little surprised and then I blushed. "But . . . b-but I'm not even in the club."

"I know," Niki spoke. "But, you still participated."

"Well, thanks again Niki-san," I replied.

"No problem," she answered. "Will you be joining up again sometime soon?"

I chuckled slightly. "It depends on my homework load."

We both laughed, and then said our good-byes. As I walked out of the room, I passed by gossiping group of girls near the corner. When Kimiko and I met eyes, I could sense a strong tension of hatred and jealousy. Great, what I planned on avoiding has finally come to me. Well, at least I knew how to handle it. Glancing away, I continued walking out the door, until I was out of the room.

I sure was going to get one huge lecture from Tamaki on Monday. Well, hopefully they wouldn't bombard me with millions of questions or else they would have to close the Host Club in order to get the answers from me. After I finished my homework, I would have to brainstorm possible questions they would ask me so that I could be prepared to answer them without hesitation.

Once I made it to the apartment, I threw my bag onto the bed and then hurled myself on as well. Staring up at the ceiling, I sighed, exhausted. The day flew by fast, especially during club hours. I couldn't believe I had lost track of time, even when I kept telling myself not to. Well, hopefully I can put together a good enough reason explaining why I wasn't at the club that afternoon. All I needed to do now though was finish up my homework for today and get that much-needed rest.

The one thing that I feared the most was tomorrow morning in homeroom. Kyoya would obviously question me before class would start; unless . . . I arrive at class late. That way, he wouldn't have time to question me. Once all that was said and done, I'd just have to deal with all six of them at the Host Club. I couldn't avoid them forever because they would become even more suspicious. I knew that I'd figure how everything would plan out tomorrow, so all I had to focus on now was finishing up my work and resting.

* * *

**Yeah, I know . . . a little shorter than the other chapters.**

**Walking up on stage and performing in front of a large group of people can be intimidating (Trust me . . .), but sometimes, you just have to focus on something else to keep your mind off of your worries. (Like imagining the audience in their underwear XD).**

**For those of you who were wondering . . . "Mata Ashita" is one of the songs on the Ouran Host Club album (only in Japanese though . . .). Just YouTube search it and listen to it a couple of times!**

**Anyways, reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	12. Friends and Foes

**Wassup peoples?**

**Okay, well a lot of things have occurred since K.C. stepped into Ouran Academy, so let's see what other new things await her!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or the characters within it.**

**Claimer: I own Katherine/K.C., Joe, Mackenzie, and everyone else that isn't mentioned in the manga or anime.**

* * *

**~ Chapter 12 ~**

**Friends and Foes**

The weekend flew by quick, especially since I was spending the night at Haruhi's house on Saturday. And I must admit that I felt like I was home, even though I was in another country, but I could relate to Haruhi very well. She was just like me, not too fond of the rich life, but she still had a father to raise and take care of her. I enjoyed spending time with Haruhi at her home, especially with her father, who was the most interesting.

On the way to her apartment, she questioned why I wasn't at the Host Club on Friday. I didn't want to lie to her because she was one of my closest friends at the Academy, so I simply told her that there was another club I was invited to observe, so I had to prepare the desserts the day before. Haruhi understood, and we let what happened on Friday slide so that we could enjoy our weekend. Well, telling Haruhi the truth was simple; it was getting it passed the other six pairs of eyes staring you down and interrogating you that would be the most difficult.

I still couldn't believe that I had been in Japan for over three months already, and it seemed like only yesterday I got off the plane and into the cab. Time sure does fly by fast, and before I even knew it was coming, it would be summer vacation and I'd be back at home with my older brother. I sure couldn't wait to see him, Mackenzie and everyone else again; and even though I'd miss my friends from the Academy, I knew that we would see each other once the second term began in September.

Once Monday came around, I found myself in the banquet hall-like cafeteria and chatting with Tao as we walked around to search for a table. We became close friends ever since last week; and since she was in my class, we spent a lot of time together. It turned out that Tao was an heiress to Jinjou Industries, which was a computer production company in Japan. Tao stated that her father dreamed that someday their computers would be shipped all over the world, especially to America; but for now, they were only shipped around Japan.

"So, Katherine," Tao began, "What does your family do?"

Well, that sure was a popular question. I stammered for a while, unsure of whether I could trust Tao about my family background. "Well," I began, "you see, my parents–"

I was cut off when another voice called out to me, "Katherine-san!"

Tao and I both turned to find Kimiko, Momoka, and Ochira striding up to us. I smiled politely while Tao just glared at the three of them. I didn't understand why, but I presumed that she disliked the three girls. One thing I learned was that you should keep your friends close and your enemies closer; so if Kimiko and her lackeys turned out to be the mean girls, I'd keep them close as if we were childhood friends, but then get back at them later on. Of course, that would only turn _me_ into a mean-girl, so the only polite thing to do was be kind.

"Hey there, Kimiko-san, Momoka-san, Ochira-san," I spoke with a smile. "How are you guys?"

"Fine, thank you," Ochira answered cheerfully.

"We were wondering if you'd like to come and sit with us for lunch," Kimiko spoke, with a somewhat faux smile on her face.

"Sure. Would it be all right if Tao came as well?" I inquired.

"Actually, I'd rather not," replied Tao, glancing away with that scowl still on her face.

I stared at her confused, but then I turned back to the three girls. "You guys go on ahead," I spoke, with a small smile. "I'll be there if I can."

The trio nodded, and then they turned and walked over to a table far from where I stood with Tao. I turned to face her with a puzzled countenance, but she only glared at the Kimiko and her gang as they giggled and laughed about whatever it was. From the look of it, Tao completely despised the three girls, so there must've been something that went on between the two of them. It was hard to figure out since Kimiko and her followers were a grade higher than the two of us.

"Is everything all right, Tao?" I inquired.

She sighed, and then she finally faced me. "Yeah, I just had a bad experience with Kimiko."

"Would you like to talk about it?" I asked. "We can find an empty table."

Tao nodded, and then we walked over to a vacant table by the towering, un-scratched windows. We sat across from each other and set our trays down on the table. Neither of us said a word to each other, and I could tell that whatever Tao was thinking about, it was related to Kimiko. Something _had_ to have happened between the two of them that would cause Tao to build up so much abhorrence against her.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to talk about it, Tao," I spoke

"No, I think it would be best that I get it off my chest and out of the way," she replied. Glancing away, she released a deep breath. She was silent for a moment, while I sat there awaiting her story. "Kimiko and I have been best friends since Elementary School," she finally spoke. "We had frequent sleepovers, and invited each other to our birthday parties every year." She smiled and closed her eyes remembering the 'good old days'. "We were close, almost like sisters. But," she added, hanging her head, "but as soon as Middle School came around, we began to drift further apart. She changed everything about herself just to be in the 'in crowd'. I stayed away from that influence. Eventually, she became the leader of her clique, making everyone feel terrible just so she can feel good about herself. She definitely isn't the same girl I used to know." He voice began to crack as she choked back tears. Hiding her face in her hands, she ended, "I feel like I've lost a part of me."

I stared at her sympathetically. Poor Tao. She must've felt betrayed after what Kimiko had done to her, and I would know exactly how she'd feel if the same thing happened to Mackenzie and me (Of course, Mackenzie was seven years older than me, and I had only known her for about three years). But, still, when you have a close bond with someone for a long time, only to have that bond of friendship broken, it is possible to feel betrayed.

Unable to see Tao sob, I gently grabbed her wrists and pulled them away from her face, "Tao-chan, it's all right. I understand."

She sniffled, and then slowly glanced up at me with puffy, blood-shot eyes. "Y-you . . . you do?" she inquired.

"Well, not completely," I replied frankly. "But, I would know exactly how you feel if my best friend ever turned me down the way Kimiko did to you. My best friend and I are really close, just like how you and Kimiko used to be. Of course, she's much older than me though, but we still look out for each other and protect each other as if we were sisters."

Tao smiled and giggled somewhat. "Guess you two are like the Hitachiin brothers, huh."

Releasing her, I sat back up, and then I rubbed the back of my head while grinning, "Yeah, I guess we kind of are." Then, I lowered my hand back down and released a deep breath. "But, my point is that even if you lose a close friend, you can still find new ones; ones who will always be by your side. You see, Tao, stuff like that happens all the time. Don't worry about it, though. They were the ones who wanted to get into that stuff, and you were right not to. I bet Kimiko will meet her downfall eventually. Just you wait."

I gave her a reassuring smile as she stared at me. Then, she managed to put a smile on her face and slightly nod her head understandingly. "Thanks, Katherine," she spoke. "You're a great person."

"Any time, Tao," I spoke. "Whenever you need someone to talk to after school, you can call me."

Tao only smiled. "All right."

We chatted for a while, but the question about my parents, or what company I was heiress to, was never brought up in the conversation, thank goodness! After lunch, Tao and I said our good-byes as we walked off to our separate classrooms.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Afternoon classes flew by like they always did, and I found myself walking down the long, empty hallways towards the south wing of the building to Music Room 3 carrying a box of props under one arm, which I presumed was for their cosplay. The hosts asked me to arrive earlier to help them set up, and then I could work in the kitchen. Like I said, working for the Host Club was a strenuous job; however, I began to grow fond of decorating the desserts and helping the hosts set up the clubroom for the day. Well, I hadn't set up before, but I presumed that it would be enjoyable.

I continued to walk down the empty hall, carrying the cardboard box of props. At least, I thought it was empty. Once I rounded the corner, I nearly gasped as I glanced up to find Kimiko, Momoka, and Ochira. Kimiko had her arms folded across her chest while her lackeys had their hands on their hips. All three of them had a piercing gaze on their faces, especially Kimiko. I stood frozen in place; but after releasing a deep breath, I stood up straight and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Momoka-san, Ochira-san, Kimiko-san," I addressed them, bowing halfway. Once I brought myself back up, I asked, "What brings you three here? On the way to the Stellar Club, I assume?"

"Actually," Ochira spoke, with a slight smirk across her lips, "we decided to visit the Host Club today."

"_And_, since we didn't get the chance to sit with you during lunch," Kimiko added. Her eyes narrowed at me as her smirk grew wider. "Would you like to join us at the Host Club?"

I stared at her, unsure of how to reply. She knew that I was on my way to the Third Music Room, so she decided to ambush me to see if I was hiding anything. I couldn't allow her to observe me walk into the clubroom and get to work; or else, she'd blab to the entire school that I was the Host Club's Cinderella. That would give me, and the hosts, a bad image. On the other hand, I had to make sure my work was kept secret so that I could continue working to pay off my debt, like Haruhi kept her secret. There had to be some way I could get rid of Kimiko and her gang without causing any suspicion to arise.

"Well . . ." I trailed off. Regaining my composure, I began again, "Actually, I–"

"She's busy assisting the club by gathering the props we'll need for today's cosplay," a monotone voice answered for me.

The three of us glanced over to find Kyoya stepping out from the shadows of the hallway and into the light. The light from the window created a glare on his glasses, but it disappeared one he adjusted them on the bridge of his nose. As he approached us, I sighed with relief in my mind glad that he backed me up. If anyone could get out of a situation easily, it was him; and I sure was glad he was in the right place at the right time.

"Kyo–" I began.

However, I was cut off again, this time by Kimiko, "Kyoya-kun!" she squealed as her eyes sparkled.

"Harikoshi-san," Kyoya replied with a small smile, which I identified as one of his fake ones (Man, he sure was good at fooling others with that). "How are you?"

"Fine, thank you," replied Kimiko dreamily, not taking her eyes off his. "I'm even better now that you're here."

_Oh, brother . . ._ I thought, slightly rolling my eyes.

Apparently, Kimiko was crushing on Kyoya. Since she and her followers visited the Host Club every once in a while, she must've requested the Shadow King every time. Even though Kyoya was busy throughout the first month of the first term, he has been available for requesting since May. I guess I should've requested him once he was available; but, now that I think about it, being a part of the club and able to talk to each of the hosts was better than requesting and chatting with one a month.

"I hear you girls are on your way to the Host Club," Kyoya spoke.

Ochira and Momoka nodded, while Kimiko replied, "Of course." Then she sighed and continued, in an over dramatic tone, "It has been such an awfully long time since I set foot in the clubroom, but at least I'll have you there with me, Kyoya-kun."

With that she plastered on a fake smile and batted her eye lashes while she gazed up at the Shadow King. _Man, if she can be dramatic and flirt like that, why doesn't she start a Host__**ess**__ Club or something?_ I pondered to myself. With such articulate acting skills, she would make a perfect hostess, charming young men who request her. She was like the female version of Tamaki, except Tamaki was a better person than Kimiko would ever be; at least, that's how I saw it.

Kyoya only kept that fake smile on his face as he adjusted his glasses. "You're theatrical expressions and dialect are superb, Harikoshi-san," he commented. "The Stellar Club must be efficient with enhancing those talents." Kimiko only blushed and glanced away slightly, apparently taking his comment as a flirt. "Anyway," Kyoya added, "the Host Club doesn't open for another half hour." Then, he flashed his calm smile. "So, why don't you three young ladies run along and enjoy yourselves until then?"

Kimiko, with the blush still visible on her face, and then she turned and walked passed me and around the corner with Ochira and Momoka following not too far behind. I sighed, glad that they were off my back, so now I didn't have to worry about secretly working for the Host Club to be exposed.

"Arigatou, Kyoya-senpai," I spoke, glancing up at him with a weak smile.

"No problem at all, Katherine-san," he replied. "Now, let's head back to the clubroom. Tamaki is dying to have the decorations set up."

I nodded in agreement and then we walked down the hall together. I sure was glad Kyoya backed me up. He was in the right place at the right time, but I could tell that he was wanted to keep my secret just so that I could continue to pay off my debt. Obviously, it was only for his own profit, so he wanted to keep it a secret so that I could pay for his replacement glasses, or fix his original ones.

There was a minute or two of silence, but then Kyoya inquired, "So, did you enjoy yourself at the Stellar Club on Friday?"

I held my breath when he said that. How in the world did he figure that out? Well, I was "in the washroom" for quite some time, so it would be obvious that I wasn't really there. However, how did Kyoya figure out where I was? Was he spying on me? Who knew? Haruhi told me that she wouldn't speak a word of it to the other hosts; but somehow, Kyoya figured it all out . . . like always.

"I was invited to see what it was like," I explained. "Besides, I don't have that much of theatrical or musical talents. I didn't plan to stay for the entire club hours, though. I just got sidetracked. But, that's no excuse. I should've kept to my duties with the Host Club. Please, forgive me, senpai."

Kyoya only grinned at me. "At least you were thinking ahead. Even though you didn't intend to stay there for three whole hours, you still planned for it, in case that occurred. That was a very smart move."

I smiled as thanks. At least he agreed with me, so that was one host down, six to go; and I had a feeling that the first ten or twenty minutes of preparing the club would be wasted on the many questions Tamaki would throw at me. Well, I just had to answer them truthfully. I mean, they would understand if I told them that I was invited to observe another club, so I had to prepare the desserts in order to leave for the afternoon.

Once we reached the Third Music Room, I grabbed the box with two hands, since it was beginning to slip from my grasp. Kyoya grabbed the door handle and opened the door for me. In the midst of the room, there stood the hosts confabulating about whatever it was; actually, it was more of Tamaki rambling on about who-knows-what. As I walked into the room, the group was still into the club president's discussion, so I decided to listen to it in case it was something about their next cosplay.

". . . and it'll be a masquerade fairytale princess ball, just like Renge suggested," Tamaki ended.

Oh, it was just something about the dance that Renge girl was discussing with the hosts last week. I set the box down and began to take all of the props and decorations out while Tamaki continued to explain the "Fairytale Princess Ball" in his typical dramatic tone, while twirling around every once in a while. Even though I wasn't one of their customers, it didn't involve me; however, I couldn't help myself but listen in on the conversation.

"Our main fairytale theme will be based on the story 'Cinderella'," Tamaki continued. "A helpless servant to her step-mother and step-sisters dreaming of one day to meet her prince charming and live happily ever after; however, only a glass slipper proves that she is 'the one'. And, that is exactly how it will go. You see, with Kyoya's info on our clients, we can choose from the beginning which lovely lady will be the 'Cinderella' by discovering which one has a different foot-size from the rest of our customers. After we find out who she is, I, as the prince charming, will whisk her to the ballroom floor for a private dance; thus, creating her happily-ever-after."

I stopped what I was doing and turned to him. "But, what if there isn't a distinct lady there that has one foot-size that is different from the rest of the girls?" I inquired.

The group glanced over at me, probably startled because they didn't hear me walk into the clubroom. That sure was a surprise considering the fact that most of them didn't really care what Tamaki was babbling about. Well, since it did concern the Host Club events, it was obvious why they had to stop and listen to it; in fact, I must say that it was a brilliant idea for a ball.

"Simple," Kyoya replied, walking up behind me. I turned around and looked up at him as he added, while jotting down notes in his notebook, "As of now, there are exactly 1,035 guests attending the Host Club, not daily of course. All that is needed is to research on their shoe-size, and the one who is a shoe size different form our other guests is the 'Cinderella'."

"Oh . . ." I commented. _That's a lot of girls . . ._

It sure was an interesting idea to allow one lady the opportunity to have the night of her life. She would be different than the other girls, and would enjoy dancing with her "prince charming". No brainer why Tamaki would declare himself as the prince. Of course, that's how all the girls saw him as; however, I saw each one of them as a prince, except Haruhi since she was secretly a female.

I was still amazed that over one-thousand ladies attended the Host Club. That I couldn't believe at all. Well, they were the most popular club in the school, so it was obvious why they would have so many guests attend. At least it wasn't one-thousand girls a day, which would mean that each host would have over one-hundred ladies to entertain. The girls probably visited on certain days, like ones that they weren't too busy on. That made more sense once I thought about it. I wished that I was still attending the Host Club so that I could be part of that Cinderella ball, but it seemed like I would be the one providing the desserts for the hosts and their guests, seeing that I worked for them now.

Without another word, I went back to unpacking until the box was completely empty. The prop box was filled with shields and chain-mail that looked like it belonged to the fourteenth century. From contents the large box held, the hosts must've been setting up a "Knights and Dragons" type of cosplay. This would be interesting. I didn't know much about the fourteenth century, except what I heard about in fairytales; plus, I didn't know what types of desserts they had over six-hundred years ago, so that would be an entire new experience for me.

After a while, the hosts began to take some of the props and decorations. Haruhi rolled out the red carpet along the faux stone floor while the other hosts began to set up the furniture and vases on the tables. I began to hang the tapestries on the faux stone wall that was plastered over real wall, which, I must say, looked realistic. Even as I looked around the nearly completed clubroom, I would've thought at first that I had time-traveled back to the era of knights and dragons.

As I descended down the ladder, I nearly fell off when I was taken by surprise when the twins spoke to me, "So, tell us, K.C. Where were you last week?"

I grabbed the sides of the ladder to keep myself from falling off, and then I stepped down and turned to the twins. Even though I planned on telling them the truth, I knew that it sure was going to be difficult.

"Well," I began. "I actually went to visit the Stellar Club."

"The Stellar Club?" the repeated together. Then Hikaru added, "Isn't that the new club?"

I nodded. "I was invited to visit the club just to see what it was like, so I prepared all the desserts before leaving. I didn't mean to stay for the entire club hour though."

"It's all right," the two twins spoke. Then Hikaru began, "As long as you're still working for the club–"

"–there's no need to worry about what we'll think if you're not here," Kaoru ended.

Then the two smiled and spoke together again, "Just make sure you prepare the cakes before you go off anywhere."

I smiled back and nodded. "Don't worry. I will."

"All right, well you'd better get started," the twins spoke with identical smirks as they turned and waved.

I released a deep breath. Only two more months of working for the Host Club, and then it would be summer vacation. I must admit that I was beginning to excel with decorating and creating the desserts, but it was tiresome, and I couldn't wait until the last week of July when school would be out. I could just visualize home and spending time with Joseph and Mackenzie; but for now, I had to stick with paying off my debt.

Making my way into the kitchen, I found my apron and a dark-green gown, which I presumed was the type of dress the women servants wore six-hundred years ago. Slipping the gown over my uniform and tying the apron around my waist, I began to work on the medieval cakes. One the counter was a thick book with the words "**Ye olden cook book**" written in golden cursive font on the front. There were a few pages bookmarked, which I presumed were the sweets that Kyoya had decided to be served for today.

Preparing and decorating the treats were easy, but the most difficult part was setting the cart out to the middle of the room. It was terrible enough if the ladies found out that there was a girl working for the Host Club. As I glanced out the circular window, I found something that made the situation at least five times as worse. Kimiko, Ochira, and Momoka were out there! Kimiko with Kyoya, obviously; Momoka requested the twins; and Ochira was at Tamaki's station. I swallowed hard knowing that this would _not_ be easy.

Suddenly, something caught my attention . . . actually someone. Haruhi was walking over to one of the empty carts to set the tea tray down. She was wearing a peasant's outfit (no wonder why Tamaki would put her in that). She had on a long-sleeved white shirt, with frills at the ends of the sleeves; a light brown, leather vest over her shirt; baggy, beige pants; and black leather boots with the pant legs tucked inside. I smiled, knowing a way to get the pastries into the room without anyone noticing me. I slowly pushed open the door and stepped out halfway into the room.

"Psst, Haruhi," I whispered.

She looked over at me and smiled. "Hey, K.C.," she spoke, walking over to me. "What's up?"

"If it's not too much to ask," I spoke, reaching back into the kitchen and wheeling out the cart, "could you set this over with the other pastries for me."

"Not at all," the female host replied, gladly accepting the cart.

"Arigatou, Haruhi," I spoke with a smile as thanks.

I watched her as she pushed the cart of desserts over by a stone column, and then I caught a glimpse of a few other pastries that were running low. Knowing that I had to prepare some more, I entered the kitchen once again and began to bake the desserts. Hosting hours flew by rather fast, even when I was busy preparing the sweets in the kitchen; and then I found myself hanging up the apron and gown and turning to leave the kitchen.

With my satchel slung over my shoulder, I traveled out into the club room where I found the hosts halfway finished with packing the props and decorations away. Kyoya was sitting at one table writing down profits in his notebook, and Hunny was with Mori, who was making sure Honey didn't eat too many sweets. I strode over to club president, who was taking down one of the tapestries on the wall.

"Is there anything I could do to help, Tamaki-senpai?" I inquired.

He turned to me and smiled. "Yes," he answered. Then he pointed to a large box and added, "could you take those back to the storeroom, please?"

"Sure thing, senpai," I replied, returning the smile.

With that, I turned and picked up the box. I almost fell over at first since it was extremely heavy; but once I lifted the box, I hoisted it onto my shoulder. I always found it easier to carry things on my shoulder anyway, that way I would strain my arms by carrying it. With the weight on one shoulder, I could easily walk since I wouldn't have the box in my way, blocking my view of where I was going.

Walking over to the door, I reached my free hand out to turn the knob when, suddenly, someone else grabbed the knob and turned it, opening the door. "Let us get that for you," two voices spoke at once.

I smiled, and glanced over at the two, auburn-haired boys, "Thanks, you two."

"Do you need any help carrying that?" they inquired.

"No, I think I got it," I replied with a smile. "But, thank you for offering."

After that, I turned and walked out into the hallway. Well, today was one of the easiest days; most likely because the desserts were easier to prepare, and the fact that this was my third week working for the club. All I had to do was get through the rest of June and July, and then I would be free from the Host Club for the summer.

I still couldn't get my mind off that "princess ball" or whatever the dance was that the club was hosting. It sure did sound like a lot of fun, but I wasn't that into dancing; one, I didn't know how to ballroom dance, and two, with the debt I had at the host club, I couldn't possibly pay for my own dress and mask for the ball. Well, maybe I could convert the money I had in my allowance into yen; and besides, the currency back home was only a hundredth of the Japanese currency here. Last time I checked, I had almost fifty dollars in my wallet; which meant that in Japan, I had five-thousand yen. Of course, I would have to look at the cost of the ball gowns at the store in case I would have to ask Joseph for any money, which is something that I did _not_ want to do since he was already saving up for Mackenzie's engagement ring. Well, at least I'd prepare the desserts for the party and take the rest of the night off.

My mind was still caught in the thought of the "Cinderella ball" that I suddenly tripped over something when I turned the corner. I fell flat on my stomach while the box landed on the red carpet over the marble flooring, with its contents spilling out. I glanced up to find that most of the stuff I was carrying was fragile, but at least none of them broke.

"Well," an aristocratic voice chimed. A hand picked up a vase that rolled around in circles on the floor, and then the voice continued, "Looks like we have a klutz in our midst."

Groaning, I sat up on my knees, rubbing my arm with my free hand, and then I looked up to find Kimiko standing over me, while staring down at me with a smirk on her face. I could just sense something from her that she was about to make this moment as miserable as it could get. Swallowing hard, I didn't even want to imagine the worst she could do.

"It would be a shame if such antique and _expensive_ pottery like this were to break," she spoke, gazing at the pot and turning it, looking it over.

Suddenly, she reeled her arm back and hurled it across the hallway. I gasped and turned my head towards there waiting for it to crash against the wall; until I notice Momoka catch it. Now I figured out what they were up to. Obviously, Kimiko was jealous of me and considered me a threat; thus, she ganged up with her lackeys to devise a plan that would make my life miserable.

"Looks like little Katherine-chan has become the Host Club's foot stool," Momoka spoke.

Then, she hurled the vase behind her where Ochira stood, and she caught it. I couldn't risk the priceless pottery being smashed, piling more onto my debt, so I quickly scrambled to my feet and raced over to snatch the vase from her. Before I was mere inches away from her, she tossed the vase over to Kimiko again, who thankfully caught it before it smashed against the corner of the wall.

I was caught in a game of monkey-in-the-middle, while the three girls continued to laugh as I attempted and failed to retrieve the vase from their clutch. At some point they were going to give up and allow the vase to "slip" from their hands and land on the floor, or at least toss it to someone who "fails to catch it in time".

"I thought you were helping out the hosts today, Katherine," said Momoka, as she caught the vase.

I raced over to her, but she tossed it back to Kimiko, who added: "We went to the clubroom to see if you were there, but we couldn't find you."

She then tossed it over to Ochira, who ended as she caught the pottery. "And now you're here bringing the props back to the storeroom. Where were you the entire time?"

I stood in the middle of the triangle of mean-girls, panting from exhaustion. These three were beginning to get under my skin; however, I couldn't allow my anger to take control over me because that was exactly what these girls wanted to see. Releasing a deep breath I turned to face Ochira.

"If you must know, I _did_ bring the decorations to the Host Club," I replied calmly, but with an annoyed countenance.

"Then, where were you during club hours?" inquired Momoka, catching the vase as it was passed to her.

"I was . . . in the library . . . studying," I fibbed, trying to fill in the pauses with gasps for breath as I stopped after racing over to one of them to catch the vase. They seemed to believe my story. "I felt that since I delivered the decorations, I should at least bring them back to where I found them."

"That makes sense," Ochira commented, tossing the medieval pottery to the ring leader.

"You'll have to join us at the Host Club sometime though," Kimiko added.

"I'll take it into consideration, but I'm not making any promises."

"Aww, that's not fair," Kimiko taunted, passing the vase to Momoka this time.

"Yeah, you joined us when we invited you to the Stellar Club," she spoke.

"That's because I hadn't experienced _that _club before," I answered, facing her. "I know much about the Host Club anyway."

"Well, you should've gone to the Stellar Club today," Kimiko spoke with a smirk. "I heard that you won that karaoke contest."

I turned to her and raised an eyebrow in surprise but also disbelief. "Really?"

She nodded, and then she slipped out a gold medal from under the collar of her dress that hung around her neck. "But, since you weren't there to receive the reward, they gave it to the runner up."

"Well, winning isn't all that important to me anyway," I spoke.

"You're totally lying," Kimiko spoke. "You really wanted the prize, didn't you, Katherine?"

I swallowed hard as I stared at her. Even though winning wasn't all that important to me, I at least wanted to win something so that I could bring it back home to show Joseph. Now that the ring leader had it, my heart was chipped a little, but not completely broken. I truly wanted to win that award, and I even had my hopes up of winning; but since I wasn't there to receive it, Kimiko was awarded it.

"Well, maybe I did," I answered. "But, now that I think about it, there will be other contests."

"Good luck," Kimiko spoke, catching the pottery. She turned to each of her partners in crime and gave them each a small nod before adding, "You're going to need it."

With that, she reeled her arm back far and hurled the pottery with a great force, like a pitcher throwing a fast-ball. I observed as the vase flew at a high speed towards Ochira who only stepped to the side so that the vase would strike the wall shattering into pieces. Not on my watch. I wouldn't add more to my debt and work longer than I really needed. I only had one year at this school, and if my debt increased, Joe would have to use the money in the savings for a full tuition. I didn't want to put that much pressure on him.

Darting at top speed, I launched myself into the air with my arms extended. Everything seemed to occur in slow motion, as I dove sideways so that I could catch the flying vase. Thankfully I caught it; but as my body came down, the back of my head collided against the wall. My breath had been knocked out of my lungs, but it quickly returned to me as I gazed up at the ceiling. All I heard was the sound of footsteps echoing down the halls before my vision faded and I blacked out.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"K.C.," a calm voice spoke from above me.

Slowly opening my eyes, I saw two familiar faces gazing down at me; but both were blurry since my vision was out of focus. As my eyesight adjusted I noticed that they were two young boys gazing down at me, and both looked identical. I closed my eyes thinking that my vision was seeing double; but when I opened my eyes again, I saw that there were two identical male students, twins.

"H-Hikaru . . . Kao-Kaoru," I spoke weakly.

"It's us, K.C.," Kaoru answered gently.

"Are you all right?" questioned Hikaru.

I nodded slowly. "I'm fine," I answered, plastering on a weak smile. "What're you two doing here anyway?"

"Tono told us to take some more boxes to the storeroom," they replied.

"And we saw you catch a vase before passing out on the floor," Hikaru added.

"–so, we rushed over to see if you were okay," Kaoru ended.

"I'm all right you guys," I replied, sitting up. "How's the vase?"

"Safe and sound," Hikaru spoke with a smirk, holding up the medieval pottery.

"That would've been terrible if you hadn't caught it in time," Kaoru ended.

"Especially since it would've added 4.5 million yen to your debt," a voice spoke from the shadows.

The three of us turned to find Kyoya Otori stepping out of the shadows of the halls. He had that smirk on his face as he gazed at us. I could tell that he was somewhat relieved that I caught the vase, without anything to clean up; also, he was most likely wishing that I wouldn't caught it so that I could be the Host Club's slave for life. Of course, I knew he wasn't _that_ cruel to do such.

"Well," I replied with a weak laugh, "then I'm glad I _did_ catch it."

"Yeah, or else we would have to make you a host like Haruhi," the twins spoke together, with identical smirks.

I gasped and stared at them surprise. They really wouldn't have done _that_ would they? If so, I would've had to cut my hair in order to look like a boy; and I did _not_ was to cut my hair. I liked it the way I fixed it up every morning: brushed, curled slightly, and then pulled back into a low ponytail. Even though it wasn't much upkeep with short hair, I still preferred to keep it the length it was. Of course, it might not be cut short to my jawbone, or the nape of my neck, like most girls would style their hair. The twins would most likely cut it as short as Haruhi's. Knowing the twins, they would probably do something a little mischievous.

I grabbed my ponytail, and then said, "You two are not chopping of an inch of this hair!"

The twins only laughed. "Don't worry, we were just kidding . . . somewhat."

Releasing my hair, I sighed, "Well, at least you meant it in a kidding way." Then I began to stand up. "Anyway," I continued, "thanks for helping me out you guys."

With that, I walked over to the box, and my messenger bag, which had slipped off during the "game" with the terrible threesome. Well, I didn't resent them for it. In fact, I would be praying for them because they were the ones who turned to the dark side anyway, especially Kimiko. All I had to do was ignore them when they teased me and such, so they would eventually leave me alone.

With my satchel slung over my shoulder, I began to lift up the box; but suddenly, a pair of arms grabbed it and hoisted it up before me. I glanced up to find Kyoya towering over me with the box in his arms. Raising an eyebrow, I wondered why he would be taking the box for me; after all, I needed to help out the club, especially since I was the one responsible for taking some of the boxes out of the storeroom anyway.

"Kyoya-senpai?" I began, standing up.

"Don't worry about it, Katherine-san," he replied, as if he read my mind. "I'll take care of this for you. In the meantime," Kyoya added, with a smile, which seemed a lot different than his typical ones, "you should head back home. You've had a long day."

After that, he turned and headed down the hallway. I watched his body shrink the further he traveled down the wide, empty corridors, until he disappeared around the corner. That sure was odd, especially that smile. It wasn't like his planning-smirks, or his fake smile he would use when entertaining his customers. The one he just gave me seemed more, different.

"Strange," I heard the twins speak as their arms rested on top of my head, "Kyoya sure was acting different towards you."

"You guys mean to say that you've never seen him like this?" I inquired.

"No, he's usually his natural, 'Shadow King' self, especially when it comes to plotting something," Hikaru answered.

"But, now he just seemed like a different person," Kaoru added, "especially by the way he looked at you."

Then the twins "hmm'ed" together in thought, and then they looked at each other for a while as identical as smirks appeared on their faces. Even though I couldn't see it, I could tell they had them. They were planning something, like always when they smeared on their cat-grins, and I only hoped that it wasn't anything too mischievous.

"Say, K.C.?" they inquired, glancing back down at me.

"Oh no, what are you guys planning now?" I answered.

"Nothing dangerous," Kaoru replied with a weak laugh. "We were just wondering: now that you've been with the Host Club for nearly three months–"

"–have you considered who your type was?" Hikaru ended.

"No," I replied. "Besides, I don't attend the Host Club anymore now that I work for you guys."

"We know," they spoke together. "But, still," they added together, leaning forward so that their heads were on either side of mine, "is there anyone in particular that you're fond of?"

My heart began to race at the thought, especially since they were so close to me. I had grown attached to the Host Club ever since week one; however, it was a difficult decision to make up my mind about which one I preferred. I still couldn't believe that it had been three months already and I still haven't figured it out.

"Not really," I spoke. "I mean, I like all of you guys, but I haven't figured out who I'm more fond of. I'm not that much a fan of picking favorites anyway, so it's a difficult decision for me."

"Well," Hikaru began, standing up straight and placing his hand on my shoulder, "maybe we can help."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but then Kaoru mimicked his brother's actions and added, "How would you like to go out on a date?"

Go out on a date? A date with the Hitachiin brothers? Was it a double date or something, or would I be going out with both of them? Well, they were really nice guys; mischievous, but sweet and funny. So, I bet I would enjoy myself hanging out with both of them.

"Sure. I'd love to hang out with both of you," I spoke, turning around to face them.

"Oh, no, _we're_ not asking you out," they answered in perfect unison.

This only made me more confused. "But, you two said–"

"Sorry if it came out that way," Hikaru spoke, rubbing the back of his head with his hand.

"We'd both love to go out with you," Kaoru added.

"–but it's a random choice," they ended together.

Okay, now I was completely confused. "What do you two mean?"

"You see, the boss thought at first you had the 'host-hopping-disease', which we'll explain _that_ some other time," Hikaru replied.

"But we said that it was because you still couldn't figure out who you preferred as your type of host," Kaoru added. "We all planned to go out with you at some point–"

"–but then we decided that only one host should go out with you," Hikaru ended.

"So," I began. "Who was picked?"

"Well, we haven't drawn the name out of the hat just yet," they spoke together. Then, those grins appeared on their faces. "But, the date is scheduled next Saturday, at the amusement park just downtown."

Wow, an amusement park. I hadn't been to one of those since last summer. That was the best experience ever! The games, the rides, and the roller coasters were all my favorites! Especially the thrill rides.

"Sounds like fun," I commented.

"Great," the twins spoke together.

"We'll pick you up around eight on Saturday morning," Kaoru spoke, "to get you ready of course."

"Then, we'll drop you off at the front gate," Hikaru spoke. "The only thing you'll have to do then is await your date to arrive, and then have fun."

"Don't worry about the tickets though," they spoke together again, "we've already got that covered."

My smile grew wider, and then I threw my arms around their waists. "Thanks, you guys."

"Anytime, K.C.," Hikaru spoke, "and besides–"

"–family has to look out for each other," Kaoru spoke.

I released them and gazed up at them, with that smile still on my face. "Yeah," I replied. "Even though I get homesick sometimes, I know that my substitute-older-brothers are there for me."

The twins grinned at this, and then we said our good-byes. As I turned to walk down the hall, I couldn't get my mind off the date. Even though they hadn't picked who I would be going with, I still wondered who I would get to spend the day with. Tamaki maybe, a little over dramatic, but at least he'll comfort me when I become frightened on one of the coasters. Of course, there was Honey; however, he might not be a huge fan of thrill rides, so it wouldn't be as fun with him (heck, I might be the one winning _him_ the stuffed animals). Then there's Mori. Strong, but stoic; he'd be a little calm when it came to the thrill rides, which wasn't as fun if you weren't showing it. The twins would be fun to hang out with for a day; of course, it would only be one of them. Then there was Kyoya, who was more business-like and didn't seem like he was too fond of riding roller coasters and such. There ups and downs to any of them; too bad it had to be a guy, or else I would pick Haruhi to hang out with at the amusement park.

That a week away, though, so I had time until then. All I had to focus on now was complete my homework I would have, and study up on any upcoming tests; plus, I still had my duty to the Host Club to take care of, so I had to focus on that instead of daydreaming about the theme park date. All I had to focus on was getting tomorrow's homework completed, and _then_ dream about my time at the amusement park.

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**Ooooh a blind date! I wonder who it'll be and how it'll turn out . . .**

**Anyways, rate and review!**


	13. Preparations and Anticipation

**Another Chapter for today! I just can't stop writing this fanfic! **

**Anyways, here's the moment you guys have all been waiting for . . .**

**Enjoy!**

**Oh! Before I forget, I have an ANNOUNCEMENT! I have a DeviantART Page with pics of my OC's, and I'm working on Chapter Covers and illustrations. Anyway, if you guys have time Check it out! ( ****h t t p : / / x x s a k u r a 2 5 x x . d e v i a n t a r t . c o m****/) Just without all the spaces…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, only the characters that were never mentioned in the anime or manga.**

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**~ Chapter 13 ~**

**Preparations and Anticipation**

One week had already flown by, and I found myself preparing the remaining cakes for the Host Club that Friday. There was no cosplay this time, thankfully, so I just had to decorate the typical strawberry cakes, plus the brownies and other treats. After hosting hours were finished, and I decorated a special cake for Honey with strawberries on the side and iced a little pink rabbit head on the top of the slice. I grinned as I gazed at my creation, and then I hung up the apron on the hook and picked up the plate.

Walking out of the kitchen, I hummed a little tune as I smiled. "Hunny-senpai? I called out in a sing-song voice. "I have something for y–"

Before I could finish, a hand clamped around my mouth while another arm grabbed me around the waist. "Shhhh! Quiet, Katherine!" a voice whispered in my ear.

I glanced from the corner of my eye to find Tamaki behind me with a worried expression as he gazed off to one side of the room. My eyes followed his gaze to find a little canopy-like tent, open ajar, with a bed inside it. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, and then the Host Club president released me.

I turned to him still puzzled. "What's wrong, senpai?' I inquired.

Suddenly Tamaki grabbed my arm and pulled me over to a nearby couch. I could've sworn that my feet barely touched the ground as he hauled me. Once he set me on the couch, I checked to make sure the cake was still on the plate and not on the floor. Thankfully, it was safe and sound; and then I set the plate on the table and glanced over to Tamaki, who was on his knees on the cushion and gazing over the back of the sofa.

"It's Hunny-senpai's nap-time," he answered, in a whisper.

"Oh, Gomen nasai," I spoke, glancing over to find the Loli-shota boy in the little bed inside the canopy. "I had no idea."

"Thank goodness he didn't wake up," the club king spoke. "Or else we'd all be doomed."

"Huh?"

"You see, Hunny-senpai may be cute and innocent when he's awake," Tamaki explained, "but if he's roused from the middle of his nap, he's a raging beast of destruction."

With that, the club president turned and sat down on the seat with his knees pulled towards his chest. He trembled somewhat as he bit his nails, most likely looking back on a time when Hunny _was_ awoken from a nap. As I glanced back at the Lolita in the bed, I was bewildered that someone as small and innocent-looking as him could ever be that fierce. Well, I remembered Tamaki saying that Honey was a master at martial arts. Looks sure can be deceiving sometimes.

"It's always the AB-blood-type that has to be the most vicious," Tamaki spoke again, still shuddering.

I raised my eye brow again. "What does _that_ have to do with Hunny-senpai?"

"AB-blood-types have very low blood pressure, so they're really cranky when they don't get enough sleep," Tamaki answered. "In fact, Kyoya has the same blood-type."

So, Kyoya and Hunny both had AB blood-types, so they probably weren't morning-people. I never saw Kyoya fierce and intimidating at the same time, just intimidating . . . And I sure didn't want to experience _that_. If Honey was just as fierce when he didn't gain enough sleep, then I didn't want to mess with him.

Slowly standing up, I tip-toed around the sofa and towards the little canopy. Tamaki glanced over the couch at me warning me to be careful. Once I reached the little bed, I just had to smile down at Hunny's sleeping body. Even when he was asleep, he sure was adorable! Of course, from what the Host Club president warned me, he wouldn't be adorable anymore if I woke him up. Glancing around, I spotted a table next to the canopy; and then I set the plate down on top of it. I glanced over at boy Lolita one last time as I back away; but once I turned around; my face met the torso of a figure. Looking up as far as my neck would allow my head to, I gazed up into the eyes of the stoic-host member.

"M-Mori-senpai," I spoke quietly, backing up a bit. I released a deep breath, and as soon as I regained my composure, I continued, "I need to leave now to finish up my homework; but would you please permit Hunny-senpai to try the cake I made for him? When he wakes up of course . . ."

There was a brief silence, but the Mori-senpai smiled slightly down at me and nodded with a brief, "Sure."

I smiled back, and then I bowed at the waist, thanking him. Making my way out of the Host Club, I walked down the hall of the south wing, off the school grounds, and down the sidewalk to my apartment. However, as I passed by the garden, I spotted the stone bench where I sat on my first day during lunch break; and on it sat Kyoya, jotting down notes in that little black notebook he always carried. Obviously, he wanted to get away from the chaos of Tamaki's rambling to the other hosts about Honey napping, so he found someplace quiet to work.

Slowly walking up to the stone bench, I peered over his shoulder at the notes he was taking. He was to engaged in his work that he didn't even notice me walk up or standing right behind him. Apparently, he was jotting down sales and budgeting thing about how much money the club has made in the past week. I must admit that he had very neat handwriting, even if it was in Japanese. Of course, compared to mine, anyone's Japanese handwriting was efficient.

Kyoya sure worked a lot. I mean, it was the weekend for crying out loud! He should be relaxing and enjoying his free time off. Of course, when it came to finances about the club, he had to keep up with everything and constantly check if there were profits gained or lost. Well, someone would sure be able to run their family's company easily. Still, I thought that he deserved at least one day off from work, or at least an hour or so.

Once he set his notebook down beside him on the bench, I snatched it and glanced at the pages. "You sure are busy all the time, Kyoya-senpai."

He turned to look at me, obviously irritated; however, he kept a calm composure. "I must in order to keep the club flourishing by updating the website whenever necessary, and calculating our profits. Now, if you don't mind," he added, swinging his legs around, so that he was facing me, the bench and standing up, "I would like my note book back, please."

With that he held out his hand; however, I only smirked and slammed the notebook closed with one hand. "Come on, senpai, it's the weekend," I spoke. "You need get your head out of those numbers and relax."

"Katherine-san, I don't want to create a scene," Kyoya spoke calmly. "In fact, sometimes I feel relaxed when 'my head is in the numbers'."

With that he reached his hand out to grab the notebook, but I pulled it away. Every time Kyoya would attempt to snatch his notebook back, I pulled it away further from him. I chuckled somewhat, knowing that I could get him out of the numbers and finances if I lured him into my little game.

"Really, senpai," I spoke. "Just because you're brainy doesn't mean that you have to constantly work your mind until it breaks down."

"You're GPA level's are higher than the average first-year's," he replied. "With _your _mind, why wouldn't _you _want to continue growing it?"

"Because I know when my brain has had enough," I spoke, swinging my arm behind my back.

Just as I had predicted, Kyoya reached around to grab his black notebook; however, I quickly swapped the book into my other hand and extended it outward. I smirked as he stared at his notebook in my hand with that irritated complexion. Since Kyoya was a host, he hid his annoyance behind his stoic complexion and reeled in his hand, keeping his acting in play.

"Well, I'm not like you," he spoke. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to get back to balancing the club's budget."

With that, he reached out to grab it, but I quickly moved it downward and then switched it back to the other hand. Before he could grasp it again, I clutched the notebook towards my chest, and then I raced a few feet away from Kyoya and turned back to him, waving his black notebook in the air.

"If you want it so badly, you'll have to catch me first!" I called out.

With that, I turned back around and took off running towards the garden. I wasn't sure if Kyoya was following me or not; but as soon as I turned my head to glance behind me, there was the Shadow King gaining on me. I must say that he was rather quick on his feet, but I couldn't allow him to win so easily. I raced around the garden, swerving around trees and bushes, with Kyoya not too far behind. Suddenly, I noticed an entrance to a hedge maze with full bloomed roses growing on it.

_Ah-ha! I can lose him in there for sure!_ I thought as I picked up speed and hurried into the maze.

Rushing around random corners, I found myself at dead ends a few times, but thankfully Kyoya wasn't there when I made my way out of them. I wasn't sure if this was the type of maze with an entrance on one end and the exit on the other, or if all trails led to a centerpiece, like a fountain or something; nevertheless, I had to lose the Shadow King. Suddenly, I came across a gazebo at the far back of the maze. Decreasing my speed, I sat down on the stone seat that stretched all around the gazebo, and I heaved in a lungful of air, out of breath. Hopefully I had lost Kyoya in the maze, or at least he gave up and left. Of course, I knew Kyoya, and he couldn't . . . no, he _wouldn't_ leave anywhere without his notebook.

Once I regained my breath, I stood back up and glanced from each of the paths. I wasn't sure which way led where, so I began walking toward one. But then I stopped, thinking over the pathways I took. I _came_ from the opposite direction, so if I took the paths that I came from, then maybe I could get out of the hedge maze. Man, I sure wish I brought along some breadcrumbs to help me find my way out; however, that would only lead the Shadow King straight towards me.

As soon as I turned around to head in the opposite direction, I gasped as I came face to face with Kyoya. He had that smirk plastered on his face with faint bits of the evening sunlight creating a glare on the lenses of his spectacles. I swallowed hard as I backed away slowly, realizing that this "game" was just about over.

However, when I turned to run, Kyoya seized my hand and began to pull me back. "You can't escape now, Katherine-san," he spoke, and it sounded as if he was enjoying the 'game'.

We were stuck yet again with him trying to snag the notebook from my hand, while I reacted by pulling it away from him. I tried to turn around and run; but suddenly, I tripped as I whirled around. I fell to the ground, bringing Kyoya down with me. We lay there for a while, with me lying on my back and Kyoya on top of me. Awkward . . . Placing his hands on the ground, Kyoya pushed himself up and adjusted his glasses. We gazed into each others' eyes for a while, and I began to blush somewhat; in fact, I could've sworn that I saw Kyoya blush too. Of course, if he did, quickly disappeared.

"K-Kyoya . . . senpai . . ." I trailed off.

He only smirked. "Looks like I've caught you." Then he held out his hand. "May I have my notebook back now?"

I nodded slightly and handed him the thin, black book. He accepted it, and then held out his free hand, this time offering to help me to my feet. I still had remnants from the blush on my face, but Kyoya didn't seem to mind, or at least take notice. There was silence between the two of us, but then I released a deep breath.

"Sorry about that, senpai," I spoke. "I just thought that you needed a little time away from work."

"Well, thank you for being considerate, Katherine-san," he replied with a weak smile. "Now, it's getting late; and my chauffer is most likely waiting to pick me up."

With that, he turned and walked away from me, while I stood there and watched him. What I meant as a harmless game turned into something even better. At least, I think it was better. When Kyoya landed on top of me, my heart was racing away in my chest as the blush appeared on my face. Was I falling for Kyoya? I mean, I would blush whenever I was around any of the hosts when they were using their "charms" on me; however, I don't think I ever blushed around the Shadow King when he used _his_ charms. In fact, I wasn't sure what his charms were. Maybe, it was that fake smile and that genius mind. Who knew?

"Are you coming, Katherine-san?" Kyoya's voice called out snapping me from my reverie.

I glanced up to see that he was about to turn the corner. The Shadow King had that small smile played on his face; however, I could tell that that wasn't his normal, plotting or fake smile. This one was different in a way, more like the smile he gave me when he offered to take the box of props back to the storeroom for me.

"Uh . . . yeah, I'm coming, senpai," I replied.

With that, I rushed up to him while he turned the corner. Apparently, his mind had already memorized the maze. I could tell as he turned at the corners without hesitation; and even when we came to a spot with two, split pathways, Kyoya still knew the way out. The Shadow King sure was one mastermind that was for sure.

Once we were out of the maze, I bowed, thanking him; and then we turned and went our separate ways. I headed out the front gate to the sidewalk while Kyoya traveled to the front of the school. I stopped to watch him climb into the very back seat of his limo and observed it drive passed me as it exited through the gate. Once the limousine had disappeared from view, I turned back and headed down the sidewalk to the apartments.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as I entered, I tossed my messenger bag onto the bed and collapsed on the mattress. Rubbing my eyes with my hands, I sighed thoroughly exhausted. Fridays were the most tiring days of the week; and as much as I wanted to sleep in, I would have to wake up early the next morning to have the twins pick me up for my blind date. I sure did want to sleep in; but I would most likely wake up five minutes after I got out of bed.

It was the start of the weekend, so I put my homework on hold for after tomorrow or Sunday. It's not that I saved everything until the last minute, I was just tired. As much as I wanted to fall asleep though, I couldn't, especially since the theme park and who would be chosen as my date was all that ran through my mind. So, I spent the next hour and a half sketching and doodling.

Suddenly, my cell phone began to vibrate in the pocket of my messenger bag. Wearily fishing it out, I checked the caller ID, thinking that it was my brother; however, it turned out to be Mackenzie. I smiled, knowing that I hadn't spoken to my best friend in a long time; and, without hesitation, I flipped the cover of the cell phone up and pressed the green button while setting the receiver to my ear.

"Hey, Kenzie," I spoke.

_"Hey, K.C.,"_ she spoke, cheerfully. _"How's school?"_

"Good," I replied. Then, I sighed. _"Fridays are exhausting though."_

_"I bet,"_ my best friend answered with a small chuckle. _"So got any big plans for the weekend, or are you sleeping in?"_

"I was hoping that I could sleep in." Then I sighed. "But, the twins set me up on this blind date-"

_"Huh?"_

"Oh, right. You see, I'm kind of in this Host Club, and some of my closest friends at this school are the hosts there. Each host has their own personality. There's the drama-king, Tamaki; the mastermind, Kyoya; the childish, Hunny; the strong, stoic, Mori; the natural, Haruhi; and the mischievous, terrible-twosome, twins, Hikaru and Kaoru."

Mackenzie only laughed. _"I guess those two give a whole new meaning to 'Double-Trouble', huh."_

I chuckled along with her. "Yeah, that's exactly what I thought when I first met them. But, they're really sweet guys. All of them are."

_"So, tell me about this 'blind date' they've set you up on."_

"Well . . . you see, Kenzie, at the beginning of the year, I was asked which my 'preferred-type' was. Believe me, it was hard to choose. Last week, the twins told me that they and the hosts came up with an idea where they would randomly draw a name from a hat to see which host I would spend time with tomorrow. I guess it was a way to help me pick my type."

_"Cool. You haven't told Joseph yet, have you?"_

"Not yet. I don't want to mention it to him now. I mean, I don't have a boyfriend yet, so tomorrow is more of a 'get-to-know-that-person-better' type of date."

_"Ah, I see. So, where will you be going?"_

"The twins said that it was an amusement park."

_"Nice. I'm sure you'll have fun."_ There was silence for a moment, but then Mackenzie spoke back up again, _"Well, it was nice getting to talk to you again, K.C."_

"It was nice getting to talk to you too, Kenzie; and I can't wait until summer break and come back home."

_"Speaking of which, when do you come back?"_

"The last week in July. I can't remember the exact date, though; but at least I have about a month and a half left."

_"Spring sure flew by fast."_

"Yes, it sure did."

_"Well, I'll let you go, K.C. You need your rest for your special day tomorrow."_

"All right, Kenzie, I'll talk to you later."

With that, we hung up, and I set my phone on my nightstand. Releasing a heavy sigh, I picked my satchel up by the strap and carried it over to the chair at my desk. After setting it down in the seat, I took out my pajamas for the night, and then I took a quick shower. Once I was finished and dressed ready to fall asleep, I crawled under the covers and into bed. I could've sworn that I was nearly awake as I crawled into bed; because once I laid down and my head hit the pillow, my eyes closed shut and I fell fast asleep.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Morning arrived peacefully. No alarm clock buzzed in my face interrupting a serene dream, the streaks of sunlight peeked through the curtains, and I could hear the birds chirping as they were perched on the cherry trees.

What was on my mind and in my dreams throughout the night was how my day at the amusement park would be. I had no idea which host was picked as my date, but I could picture having a wonderful moment with each one of them. Tamaki clinging to me, keeping me safe when the ride was at its most frightening; eating ice-cream with Hunny; and playing the midway games with Hikaru, and/or Kaoru. If either Mori or Kyoya were picked as the host I'd spend the day with, I wasn't sure if it would be _that _exciting. After all, Kyoya was more into statistics of the ratio of win/lose on the games and the mathematics of what degrees of an angle the roller coaster drops at, and what velocity it needs to reach in order to make the next hill. And as for Mori, well, he was stoic most of the time. Well there was about a tenth of a chance that I would get either one of them.

I sighed with pleasure as I looked back on my dream. Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell ringing over a thousand times woke me with a start, followed by a hard banging against the door. "Katherine! You'd better be awake!" a pair of voices spoke together, irritated.

An exasperated sigh escaped my throat. "Couldn't they have woken me in a less annoying way . . .?" I grumbled as I slid out of bed.

Wearily walking over to the closet, I pulled out my robe and slipped it on before staggering out of the room and too the front door. Once I opened it, I glanced up to meet two pairs of hazel eyes that returned my gaze with irritation. After a few moments, they softened as the two boys smirked.

"Sleep well, K.C.?" they inquired.

I groaned, rolling my eyes. Apparently, they were talking about my appearance, and I must've been a mess with strands of my hair sticking out and curled in every way possible. Plus, I didn't have the chance to walk into the kitchen to prepare breakfast since the twins arrived so abruptly.

I yawned. "Why didn't you guys call before coming all the way here?"

"We did," Hikaru replied innocently.

"But, you didn't pick up," Kaoru ended.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion. They never called; in fact, I didn't even hear my cell phone ring. Then, I realized that my phone had been set to vibrate, so I wouldn't have heard it anyway; and if I did, I probably just tossed in bed, ignoring it.

I turned back to the Hitachiins. "You two weren't supposed to be here until eight."

"We know," the spoke together, "It's eight-_thirty_."

I glanced over my shoulder at the clock on the stove. Guess I slept in a little, but thank goodness it wasn't for an hour. Still, the twins had no right to come banging on the door and giving me a near-heart-attack; but of course, I should've set my alarm clock, so I was glad that they woke me up just in time.

I stepped back to let them into the apartment, but before I could say a word, the twins grabbed a load of mannequins under their arms and set them up all over the room. "We can't waste any time chit-chatting," Hikaru spoke.

"You need to get yourself ready for your big date today," Kaoru finished.

Then they spoke together, "Of course, we'll help you choose the perfect outfit."

They turned with their arms outstretched to the other side of the room half-filled with headless mannequins with a variety of outfits. I must say that they were wonderfully designed too. I walked over to one of the mannequins and touched the soft fabric of the blouse that was slipped on it; and then I gazed around the room at the rest. Each one of them was wearing a one-of-a-kind outfit; some with dresses, others with blouses and shorts or jeans.

"These are amazing, you guys," I spoke in awe, traveling through the sea of polyurethane. "Where did you get them?"

"Our mother is a fashion designer," Hikaru explained. "These are just some of the clothes for her summer line."

"She let us borrow some of her outfits for you to try on," Kaoru ended.

"It sure is going to be hard to pick," I spoke, examining each outfit that I passed by. "Maybe I'll pick my favorite three and try them on. Since you guys probably know a lot about fashion, you can help me pick the right one."

"Sure thing," they answered. "We have to be ready in an hour though."

"I won't be long," I spoke.

It sure was a tough decision though. I loved each and every one of the outfits the twins had to offer, but I had to pick my top three in order to decide. So, I chose a few and took them into the bathroom. The first outfit was a pale blue blouse with short sleeves that hugged my arms, and jean short-shorts. I must confess that it was the first time I had worn any type of shorts like those. Once I was finished, I traveled out of the bathroom to model for the twins.

They scanned over the outfit a few times and then grimaced. "It's nice," they spoke together, "but it's not good enough."

"I kind of like it," I spoke, twisting around to see the backside of the outfit.

"Well, the color of the blouse is a great contrast to your skin and hair-color–" Kaoru explained.

"–but it looks a little snug on the shoulders," Hikaru ended.

I nodded in agreement as I strained to rotate my arm without causing any damage to their mother's designer clothing. Even though the color of the blouse went well with my fair skin and hair color, it was a little tight in some areas. The reason why I picked the outfit was because I thought it looked cute.

Shrugging, I walked back into the bathroom to try on the next outfit. The second one was a sunflower-yellow mini-dress with faded blue jeans. I picked this one because I wouldn't have to worry about any part of the clothing hugging my skin, especially while I was on the ride. Once I stepped out to show the twins, they looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"That one's good too. . ." Hikaru began.

"But the color isn't a good contrast," Kaoru finished.

"So?" I inquired.

"So, the yellow in the shirt makes your skin a little more pinkish," the twins replied.

Facing the mirror above the bathroom sink, I gazed at my reflection. They sure were right. My skin did look a lot more pinkish with the yellow mini-dress. I could only imagine how it would look if I got sunburned on my face. My whole entire body would look pink if anything like that happened.

Walking back into the bathroom, I sighed. Two of my favorite outfits were shot down, and I began to wonder how the twins would criticize the third one. I thought all of the outfits were nice; nevertheless, the Hitachiin brothers were the experts, and they knew the perfect outfit that would fit. In fact, even if the outfit looked cute, it all depended on the person wearing it and if it was a good match.

Releasing a deep breath, I peeled off the mini-dress and jeans and then slipped on the third outfit. This one was a light, forest-green T-shirt with a gray stencil etch on the bottom right on the front. Along with the shirt was a pair of skinny jeans and a silver belt through the loops. I took a look at myself in the mirror over the sink. I thought I looked good, but it all depended on the twin's opinion.

Stepping out of the bathroom, I nervously awaited the remarks of the fashion pros. The Hitachiin brothers cocked their head to the side as they looked me over a few times, while I wrung my hands together in complete nervousness. Once the twins looked at each other, I expected another shrug or grimace; but no, this time, they grinned. My face lit up, eager to hear what they had to say this time.

"It's perfect," they spoke together, facing me.

A wide smile spread across my face. "Really?"

The twins nodded. "The color is a great contrast, and the outfit perfectly frames your figure."

My face lit up even more, and then, without hesitation, I rushed up to them and threw my arms around both of their waists, showering them with continual "thank you's" (Or in their case, "Arigatou's"). Once I released them, I noticed that sly smile still on their faces, which only made mine fade, knowing that the masters of mischief had something else up their sleeves.

"What is it now, you guys?" I inquired.

Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged glances with each other, and then they looked back at me. "Make-over time!" they exclaimed.

Before I could run and hide underneath the bed, the twins locked arms with me, Hikaru on my left and Kaoru on my right. Then, they shoved me down in the chair in front of the vanity, while Kaoru set a large box to the side, which I presumed was filled with make-up. As he opened it, he extended two fold-out compartments which contained neatly organized varieties of different types of eyeliner and mascara. My knees began shaking, praying that they wouldn't cake a load of foundation and blush on my face. One thing for sure was that I did _not_ want to go to a theme park looking like a clown.

"Not too much you guys," I spoke, trembling.

"Don't worry, K.C.," Hikaru spoke with that smirk on his face.

"We know what we're doing," Kaoru added, taking out a brush and swirling it in some of the minerals.

"Now just relax," they spoke in unison.

I shut my eyes tight as Kaoru gently swirled the brush on my face. In fact, he was so gentle that I did relax and allowed the boys to brush the minerals over my face. The gentle graze of the eye liner felt like it barely touched my skin, and the blush being swirled on my cheeks felt like the gentle touch of a rose petal against my skin.

Sighing with pleasure, I began to think about my brother teasing me with a rose by brushing it against my skin. He only did that once, but I could vividly remember that day as if it were only yesterday. Just remembering the good old days with Joseph made me feel eager for the summer to arrive, because I wouldn't have to worry about finishing up homework; and I could spend time with my brother and my friends.

"What're you thinking about, K.C.?" the twin's voices rang in my ears.

I nearly shot up, startled and I snapped open my eyes, glancing into the mirror at our reflections. Their chins rested on my shoulders, and they were giving me a sideways glance with those smirks plastered on their faces.

"Oh, just the good old days I had with my brother," I spoke.

"I bet you had some good times," Hikaru spoke.

I smiled as I closed my eyes, looking back on the times we had together. "Ever since I met him, we've been together ever since. He'd always help me out and encourage me, and I'd return the favor. We rarely argue, which is a surprise since siblings tend to argue a lot. Of course, he's much older than I am."

"You two must be really close then," Hikaru commented.

"We are, very," I replied.

"Well, anyway, it's time to put the finishing touch on," the twins spoke.

Hikaru unwound the cord from the curling iron, while Kaoru closed the make-up box and took it off the table. While the iron was set down to heat up, Hikaru pulled the scrungie from my hair so that my hair lay freely on my back. The protective twin straightened out my hair and ran his fingers through it a few times too many. I wasn't sure why he was doing it so much, but before I could turn around and ask, he wrapped his arms around me and rested his head on top of mine.

"You should keep your hair down more often, K.C.," he spoke.

Kaoru nodded in agreement. "It looks better that way."

I glanced from the two of them, and then at my reflection. Frankly, I could barely recognize the girl in the mirror as myself, mainly because of the slight make-up. Since it had become a habit of mine to pull my hair back, I never noticed how I looked with my hair down. My make-up styled face was framed with wavy strands of long, brunette hair, and my bangs hung freely beside my face. I just had to blink a few times to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

"You should be one of our mom's models," Hikaru spoke, releasing me and then picking up the curling iron.

"Thanks for offering," I spoke, "but I don't know anything about being a model."

"That's fine. You've got the looks though," Kaoru spoke.

With that, he brushed a few tangles from my hair, and then he allowed his brother to twist the strands of my hair around the iron. Even though I curled my hair every day, I only made it look wavy, so I wasn't sure if the twins knew about that. Of course, they were the professionals at the beauty thing, especially in the club.

Once Hikaru had completed styling my hair, he stepped back and smiled, while I took a look at myself in the mirror. The make-up on my face wasn't much at all; even the eye-liner was barely noticeable, but it still accented my ocean blue eyes. As for my hair, Hikaru made each thin strand curled and pulled the top layer back into a pony tail while the bottom layers hung by my shoulders. I smiled, not nearly able to recognize myself.

"You guys are great," I breathed in awe. "No . . . you're amazing."

"It's what you get when you're the descendents of the world renowned fashion designer," they spoke, draping their arms over each other's shoulders.

"Now, we need to get you to the theme park," Hikaru spoke.

"We can't allow your 'date' to wait on you," Kaoru ended.

I nodded as I stood up from the chair. Giving them one last hug, they walked out of the room and out of the apartment while I grabbed a granola bar for quick breakfast, and, afterwards, headed into the bathroom to brush my teeth. After that was finished, I grabbed a small, sports bag and placed my wallet (with my money and ticket inside), camera, and cell phone, and then slung the string-like strap over my shoulder as I walked out the door. Before exiting, I glanced over my shoulder at the sea of polyurethane and designer outfits. Hikaru said that they would clean the mannequins out of the room once they dropped me off, so I wouldn't have to worry about bumping in to any of them when I returned from my time at the amusement park. I still couldn't keep the thought off my mind, since I was eager to know who my date would be.

"K.C.!" the twins shouted from the limo. "Come on!"

"All right, all right, I'm coming," I answered, closing the door and locking it before scaling down the steps.

One I was on the ground, the twins allowed me to step into the limo first before they piled in, sitting on the leather seat on the other side. As much as I was irritated with the twins about waking me up, I couldn't get my mind off of the theme park.

"Okay, guys, I can't take it anymore more," I spoke after a while. "Who am I going to spend the day with?"

"We're not telling," they spoke together with those smirks on their faces.

"Come on, onegai?" I begged.

"Iie," they answered.

"Not even one little hint?" I pleaded on.

"Let's just say that your date is someone you wouldn't expect," the twins replied with identical smirks.

Releasing a sigh, I slouched in the seat of the limo and stayed silent for a while. I wouldn't expect any of the hosts to be my date, well, except maybe Tamaki; but still more than sixty-six percent of the hosts, besides Haruhi, are ones that I wouldn't expect as my date for today. Still, it aroused my eagerness even more.

Once the limousine pulled into a parking space, the twins allowed me to be the first out of the car. While they stepped out, I gazed in awe at the towering roller coasters that twisted and dropped as the carts zoomed along the tracks. I didn't know how many of them there were, but the screaming of the riders awakened my excitement.

The twins led me to the front gate, and I looked around for whoever was chosen as my "date". I couldn't see another Host Club member anywhere; thus, I presumed that he hadn't arrived yet. Hikaru handed me my entry ticket for the park before he and his brother gave me a smile and "have fun" before striding back to the black limo. As I watched the stretched vehicle pull away, I sighed hopelessly since I didn't know how long it would be before my "date" showed up, or who it was for that matter. Seating myself on a bench, I awaited a black limacine to pull up to the front gate.

Thought about who was chosen as my date began racing through my mind; and after what seemed like forever, along came a black limo and halted at the curb. The chauffeur stepped out to open the door for whichever host it was.

* * *

**CLIFFHANGER!**

**Sorry guys but I couldn't resist . . . :)**

**Oh, and for those of you who were wondering: Onegai = please; Iie = no**

**Another thing . . . the twins know how to style hair and amke-up and all that. It's in the first volume of the manga, where they "dress up" Haruhi as a Host! :).**

**REMINDER! My DeviantART Page! Check it out!**

**Reviews Greatly Appreciated!**

**Replies to previous chapter:**

**i love all yaoi: Maybe . . . I'm not telling. You'll just have to keep reading! :)**

**Rokkugoh: I'm trying not to update TOO fast, because I want people more poeple to read it and see how they like it and such.**


	14. Theme Park Thrills

**Hey everyone!**

**Sorry I've kept you all on the edge of your seats with that last chapter, but I just couldn't resist! :)**

**Anyways, I know you've been waiting, so here's the next part!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club . . . (I wish though . . .)**

**Claimer: I own Katherine/K.C., Joe, Kenzie, and everyone else no one is familiar with in the series. :)**

* * *

**~ Chapter 14 ~**

**Theme Park Thrills**

I stood up, ready to greet my "date" as the chauffeur stepped to the side allowing the boy to climb out of the back seat of the limousine. Once he stepped out, I noticed a glint of light in his jet black hair. _Mori-senpai?_ I wondered. However, once the host lifted his head, allowing the sun to cast a glare on his spectacles, I nearly gasped in shock.

Kyoya? Kyoya Otori? The Shadow King was chosen as my date? How ironic could this get? Well, the twins were right. It was definitely someone I wouldn't expect to be here. Just yesterday we were running through that hedge-maze, and now we were together on a date. Out of all the hosts that could've been picked, Kyoya's name was drawn. It was strange since he didn't seem like the type to enjoy a fun-filled day at a theme park, so I began to wonder if this date would all that exciting.

The cool-type host thanked his driver, who then walked back around to the front of the limacine. Kyoya watched as his driver drove off; and I noticed his shoulders sag as he released a deep breath. He stood there with his back facing me; and then I walked up to him wondering if everything was all right.

"I'll get those Hitachiins . . ." I heard him mumble.

Was he talking about Hikaru and Kaoru? Obviously, since they were the only Hitachiins in the school. What would cause Kyoya to be so irritated with them though? Did they do something to him today before he left home? Tamaki did say that since Kyoya was also an AB blood-type, he wasn't much of a morning person. It was only ten o'clock, but I presumed that Kyoya had stayed up late the night before, and then awakened to get ready.

I stood behind him. "Kyoya-senpai?"

The Shadow King straightened himself up and then turned to me with that grin on his face, obviously one of his fake ones. Apparently, he did _not_ want to be here right now, so I guessed that he wasn't the type for thrill rides and such. I wasn't sure if he was afraid of them, or just didn't enjoy them.

"Katherine-san," he spoke, looking me over a few times. "You look lovely."

"Arigatou," I answered. "So, you're my date I assume?"

"It appears so," Kyoya replied, pushing his glasses up with him finger. "But, I have a feeling that it wasn't a _fair_ competition."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"After Tamaki drew my name, I became suspicious about the entire contest. There was a slight chance of either one of our names being picked; a 16.6% chance actually," Kyoya explained. "So, after everyone left the clubroom, I stayed after for a while. I took out all the paper slips from the hat only to find that each of them had my name . . . in the twin's handwriting."

My eyes widened. "You don't think that they set this whole thing up, do you?"

Kyoya nodded. "It appears so."

I thought about that. The twins were with me and Kyoya last week after the little incident I had with Kimiko and her gang. They were talking about Kyoya smiling a more genuine smile around me than they had ever seen, so the twins decided to put us together on a date. Apparently, it seemed that they wanted Kyoya to "come out of his shell" so to speak; in other words, they wanted him to have a day off of working on club finances and just enjoying time at the amusement park. But, did the twins think that I was crushing on Kyoya? Or . . . perhaps, _he_ was crushing on _me_. My cheeks reddened at the thought, but I banished it from my mind. It was impossible. Kyoya would only become involved in something if it benefitted him.

"Well," I spoke with a small smile, "we have all day, so let's make the best of it."

Kyoya nodded and we both walked through the front gate. After the staff scanned our tickets, we were in the park. There were roller coasters everywhere I looked around, some with loops, and others with towering hills. There were even other rides, like ones where the seats spun around in one direction, while the ride itself spun in a different direction. A wide smile spread across my face as I gazed around, butterflies fluttering in the pit of my stomach.

"So, where shall we begin?" I inquired.

"Let's find a map of this place and plan it out," Kyoya replied.

I nodded in agreement, and he took a map from a slot. We sat down on the concrete edge of a water fountain gazing down at the map. There sure were a ton of coasters, each of which I would love to try out. Of course, I wasn't sure if Kyoya was the type to become easily nauseous on a ride like that, so I would allow him to suggest riding a coaster whenever we approached one of the many here.

"Let's see, we're here," Kyoya spoke, placing a finger on the main entrance. He would drag his finger around on the page as he continued, "We could either make our way around the park from west all the way around to the east and back here, or vice versa." He pushed his glasses up at this point. "Either way," he continued with that smirk he got whenever he came up with an idea, "we will still be able to ride all the rides we can, have lunch, and leave."

"Sounds like a plan to me," I spoke.

The club's vice president glanced at his wristwatch for a brief moment, and then he turned back to me. "The park doesn't close until eight tonight," he spoke. "So, we will most likely be able to ride everything . . . depending on how long the wait is of course."

"You're not the type for standing in line?" I questioned.

"I'm fine with it actually," he spoke. "It's just that if the line is long, it might cut into the schedule."

"Well, where to first?"

"If we stay until the afternoon, we might as well have lunch here; of course, that's not for another few hours. So, we can take the western side of the park and make our way around to the northern side at noon, since that is where most of the stalls and restraints are; then, we'll make our way back through the eastern side of the park and back here by the afternoon."

I smirked. "Do you have every day of your life planned out like that?"

"No, it's only on certain occasions."

I giggled at his remark, and then we both stood up and made our way through the western area of the park, which was mainly filled with my favorite rides: roller coasters. I've always been in love with the thrill of coasters. The anxiousness and butterflies you get when you slowly ascend the hill, the adrenaline rushing through your veins as you zoom downwards and upside-down as the train thunders down the tracks, but most importantly, spending time with the ones you care about most. Of course, I wasn't sure if Kyoya was the coaster-type, so I resisted the temptation of dragging him onto the ride. After all, the boy has to make the first move.

As I gazed at the entrance to one of the coasters we passed by, I found that the line was surprisingly short. Even though the park just opened for the season, I was surprised that not many people came; nevertheless, I had a feeling that it would get more crowded after noon, especially since it was the weekend. Summer vacation was drawing near, which meant that there would be tons of people flooding through the front gate.

"The line isn't that long, if you'd like to go on," Kyoya's voice spoke interrupting my thoughts.

Glancing up at him, I answered, "Yeah, but . . . but this is a date, so we should most likely do something together; at least, that what I see all the time with other couples." I blushed at what I said, and then smiled sheepishly. "Not that we're a, um . . . you know, uh." I released a sigh, regaining my composure. "What I mean to say is that I'm the type of person who observes a situation and learns from other's experience. So, when I see two people who are dating, they typically do everything together. Since this is sort of like a date, then we should probably do the same." After hearing myself talk, I folded my arms and glanced away. "But, who am I to know. I've never really been on a _date-_date before. So, I guess we can both do whatever."

Suddenly, as soon as I set my arms down by my side, I felt Kyoya take my hand in his. I glanced up at him puzzled and surprised as a faint blush began to form on my cheeks. "Kyoya-senpai, what are–?"

"This is your first date, right?" he inquired with that smirk on his face. "Why not make the best of it?"

I stared at him, still confused by what he meant; but then, he gently tugged my arm, gesturing me to follow him. I nodded understandingly, and then I followed him into the line for the roller coaster; however, our hands remained held onto each others. It probably never even crossed Kyoya's mind that he was still holding my hand, but I released him as soon as we caught up to the people in front of us. The line sure wasn't that long at all, only about thirty or so people in front of us.

Kyoya and I didn't speak to each other, mainly because I watched the train of carts zoom passed us. Once the coaster came to a halt and slowly entered the station, I began counting the second. I would have to get used to it in case Kyoya and I were stuck in a longer line for later that day. I continued to count the seconds that passed while the train ascended the hill and practically flew across the tracks until it came to a halt in the station. I smirk to myself. It took only four minutes for the line to move up a bit.

Then, I turned to Kyoya, who questioned, "Why were you counting, Katherine-san?"

"To see how long it took for the other people to load onto the train, as well as how long the ride took," I replied with a grin. "And since they have only one train running that holds twenty-four people, it'll only take four minutes or so until we get up there. So, it's kind of an easy trick to know if the line is too long to wait in or not."

Kyoya returned my grin, and then he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Impressive deduction," he spoke.

I smiled, and then I mimicked him. "Not deduction, just observant calculation."

He gave a weak laugh; however, I stared at him surprised. Never, in the past three months that I had know Kyoya and the other hosts, had I heard even the weakest chuckle; nonetheless, it was nice to hear him laugh, even if it was a weak one. Even though the hosts at the club put on acts to make their guests swoon and squeal over them, I could tell that Kyoya's smile, as well as that laugh was one-hundred-percent genuine.

As soon as it was our turn, Kyoya allowed me to slip into the seat first so that I could place my bag on the shelf with the other bags, and then I stepped back into the car as we buckled in. After the staff came by to check if the seats were secure, I could feel the butterflies swarming around in my stomach from both nervousness and excitement; but once we reach the top, there was a split second pause before the coaster thundered down the hill and rushed through the curves. The other passengers were screaming with either excitement or fear, but Kyoya still kept that calm complexion.

Once we got off the ride, retrieved our bags, and descended down the stairs, we had to walk through a gift shop in order to head back outside. Swarms of people gathered around the counter to take a look at their photos, but I easily weaved passed them; however, I noticed that Kyoya had stayed behind, most likely wondering what everyone was gazing at. Squeezing my way through the crowd, I finally grabbed Kyoya's hand and began to pull him out.

"Come on, senpai," I spoke with a small smile. "We don't want to get separated."

With that, Kyoya followed beside me as I led him out of the crowded store, and then we continued on through the park. There were a few more roller coasters along the way, some with lines that were half-an-hour wait, but since we had all day, we would stand in line until we got onto the ride. This time, when the train approached a camera, Kyoya and I both made faces –well, I did anyway. Kyoya simply held up two fingers as the "peace" sign. At the little shack that showed the pictures, we each purchased a keychain with our picture on it, and then we moved on to the next ride.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as lunch came around, Kyoya and I stopped at one of the shacks and ordered lunch. I paid, and then I carried the tray over to an empty table and sat down, while Kyoya took a seat across from me. We each took the food we ordered and began to have our lunch. We didn't talk to each other for the first few minutes, but I decided to strike up a conversation.

"So," I began. "How is the hang-out so far, Kyoya-senpai?"

"'Hang-out? I thought this was a date," he spoke, calmly.

"Well, sure it's a 'date'," I answered, glancing down, twirling my straw around in my soda. "But, I consider it more of a hanging out type of date, not like a date-date. I mean, it's more of a way to get to know you better."

"Well, I'm enjoying it," he replied.

I stared at him rather surprised. "Really, senpai?"

He nodded. "It's interesting to be more involved in the commoners' ways of finding entertainment. And, by the way, you don't have to refer to me as 'senpai' whenever we're not on school grounds."

"Oh, gomen nasai," I apologized, blushing. "I'm just so used to it."

Kyoya only grinned as he took a bite of his sandwich. At least he was enjoying it. I worried that if either he or Mori were chosen as my date there wouldn't be much to do since they were stoic all the time. Now that I thought about it, maybe it was just at the Host Club. Well, I was just glad that he was enjoying himself.

"I still can't believe Hikaru and Kaoru set us up," I chuckled.

"I know," Kyoya agreed, rather irritated. "I'll get them for this, too."

I stared at him puzzled. I figured that he meant to say that last part to himself, but was he not enjoying himself? Impossible because he just said he was. Or . . . maybe he just said it to be nice and not hurt my feelings. So, did that me that he truly _didn't_ enjoy spending time with me? More importantly, did he not like me? It broke my heart a little as the question remained in my mind for a few seconds.

As I thought more about it, I realized that all of the hosts may have been crushing on me, which would explain why they decided to draw the name from the hat for the blind date. Heck, even the twins admitted that they would've loved to go out with me. Maybe, just maybe, all of the hosts liked me; of course, they could've been trying to help me decided who was my "type".

Still, I couldn't quite wrap my head around what Kyoya said. Did he truly detest being forced to come here? Maybe he just detested the part about waking up early; of course, if that were the case, then he wouldn't be so upset with the twins about this whole thing. He could be upset that they set him up on the date by cheating to make it a one-hundred-percent chance of his name being drawn.

Releasing a sigh, I plastered a fake grin on my face. "Well, we're halfway through," I spoke. "So, when it's over, you can go back to sleep when you get home. You probably got up early anyway."

Kyoya nodded his head in agreement, but then he stared at me for a while. Did he notice that my smile was a fake? He was the master at acting with that fake grin or smirk he put on whenever he was hosting. I looked down, averting my gaze, as I sipped my drink.

"You're a terrible liar, you know," I heard him speak.

I didn't reply.

"I really am enjoying this, Katherine-san," Kyoya spoke again.

"I know," I replied, setting my cup down on the table. "You already told me that."

"But you seem upset," he spoke, surprisingly with concern in his voice.

"I'm not upset," I lied.

Kyoya stared at me, with the sun gleaming on his lenses. Apparently he wasn't falling for my trick. I had to think of something to add that would make it look like I was upset about something _else_, so that I could hide the fact that I was hurt about whether or not Kyoya truly enjoyed spending time here with me.

"Katherine," he spoke sternly.

I sighed. "Okay, I confess I'm a little upset."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"I'm just a little homesick, that's all," I answered with a white lie. "I know that I've been in Japan for a while now, but I still kind of miss my brother."

"Well, school is drawing to an end, so you'll be back home soon."

"Don't get me wrong, sen– . . . Kyoya." It felt strange calling him by just his name. "I truly like it here, and I do enjoy spending time with the Host Club." Then, I managed a small smile, "Even if I'm in the kitchen preparing the deserts. Besides, everyone needs a 'home away from home', so I guess Japan is my second home; and, well, the hosts are like my substitute older brothers. Well, maybe not Haruhi, she's more of a sister."

Kyoya grinned, and then there was silence between the two of us as we finished up our lunch; however, the Shadow King spoke up, "It's amazing how looks can be so deceiving."

I stared at him confused, and then I questioned, "What do you mean?"

"You're extraordinarily intellectual, Katherine-san. Even for a first-year, and a transfer student. However, you're very expressive and audacious, and you tend to keep your intelligence inside, as if you wanted to keep it a secret."

Once he said that, my heart skipped. Kyoya was definitely the type to get inside your mind and figure you out. Whether it was researching the school profiles or such, he could easily read you like a book, even if you held everything inside. I blushed slightly, and then I averted my gaze from his piercing, gray eyes.

"I have to," I answered.

"Why?" Kyoya inquired.

"Because, if word got out that I was a genius, then I'd become the target of mean-girls," I replied. "But . . ." I hung my head, "but, I think that's already begun."

"Don't worry, K.C.," Kyoya spoke with that smirk. "Your secret is safe with me."

Once I heard what he said, I glanced up at him surprised. "Did . . . did you just call me K.C.?"

"Of course," he answered. "That is your nickname, correct?"

I smiled and nodded. "Anyway, you're already holding on to one of my secrets."

"So? I can hold on to others. Don't you trust me?"

I grinned. "I guess I have no other choice."

He grinned slightly back; but since it was brief, it was difficult for me to determine if it was one of Kyoya's regular fake smiles or a genuine one. Shrugging, I shook it off, knowing that I would have to observe him more to figure him out. That was one thing about Kyoya that was a challenge, he was one of those 1,000-piece puzzles that took hours to complete. Even though I've been at Ouran for over three months, I can't figure him out. I knew about him, but his personality was just so mysterious and would change every once in a while.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Once we were finished with our lunch, we tossed the trash away, and then made our way around the eastern side of the park, hopping onto any rides we could. As the evening drew in, painting the sky a vivid orange color, with the cool summer breeze flowing through the park, Kyoya and I found ourselves at the main entrance, exiting the park. I sure enjoyed riding the roller coasters; plus, I found a couple of spots to take pictures of Kyoya and me for my high school album I would work on once I got home for summer vacation.

As soon as we exited the park, I turned to Kyoya. "Thanks, Kyoya. I had a wonderful time today," I spoke.

"It was my pleasure, K.C.," he replied, with a smile. "By the way, are you planning on walking back to your apartment?"

"Oh, no, the twins said that they would pick me up once we were finished," I replied, taking out my cell phone.

Kyoya looked away, grimacing at the thought of the twins. Apparently, he was still upset that they dragged him into a date, when the drawing wasn't fair, especially to the other hosts, who obviously wanted to go out with me. Why would they plan it though? Did they notice that he sort of liked me? Come to think of it, did I even like him? I wasn't exactly sure. Well, all I can admit is that I had a fondness for all of the hosts, so I liked them all evenly. Did Kyoya have a fondness for me? I know he said that he enjoyed spending time with me at the park, but I was still skeptical about it.

Shaking off the thought, I dialed the twins' cell phone number, and then I set the receiver up to my ear. The phone rang a couple of times, while I impatiently tapped my foot on the concrete.

"Hello?" they finally picked up.

"Hey, guys, it's K.C.," I spoke. "I was just calling to say that Kyoya and I are all finished up here."

"Did you have fun?" they inquired, rather mischievously.

"Tons. I'm out at the front gate now, so I'll be waiting on you guys."

"Yeah, about that . . ."

"What?"

"You see, K.C. . . ." Hikaru began. There was a pause before he continued, "Our dad had to borrow the limo for a meeting scheduled on short notice."

"And he won't be back until midnight," Kaoru added.

An exasperated sigh escaped my throat. Okay, now something fishy was going on. Obviously, it sounded like a total lie, most likely to get Kyoya to drive me back to the school; of course, I remembered them saying that their parents were rarely around the house, so it could've been the truth.

"So you guys expect me to _walk_ back to my apartment?" I asked, nearly shouting in annoyance.

"We're sorry, K.C.," they spoke together.

"It's all right," I sighed, calming myself. "I guess I'll walk back."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"All right, have fun."

Then they hung up. I shoved my free hand into my pocket while closing the lid of my cell phone with my other. Shoving my cellular phone into my empty side pocket, I released a sigh. Great, the twins weren't going to be here to pick me up. Maybe I could call someone else though. Haruhi, maybe, but she was most likely cooking supper by now. Honey, or Mori maybe; of course, Hunny might be sleeping, and Mori wasn't much of a talker, even if it was a thirty-minute car ride. Tamaki . . . ugh, as much as I enjoyed the ride with him and Haruhi to Okinawa, I didn't want to have him using his host charms for a full thirty minutes.

"Katherine," I heard Kyoya speak.

Startled, I took my hands out of my pockets and turned to him. "Yes?"

"Are the twins coming?" he inquired.

I sighed, and folded my arms. "No," I answered, glancing down at the ground. "They said that their father had to use the family limo on short notice for some meeting. Since the others are obviously getting ready for dinner, I don't want to bother them."

"I could have my chauffeur pick the both of us up," Kyoya suggested.

"Senpai . . . I mean, Kyoya, you don't have to, really," I protested. "I'll just walk back."

"It's over an hour walking distance," he spoke, adjusting his glasses.

I thought about it for a moment, and then I sighed in defeat, allowing my arms to drop down by my sides. Glancing up at him, I grinned. "If you insist."

He grinned back, and then pressed a few buttons on his phone. I didn't want to be a burden to Kyoya at all, but I also didn't want to walk back to school in the dark. I wasn't sure if it was dangerous in Japan or not, but I didn't want to take any chances. It was nice of Kyoya to offer to escort me back to my apartment though.

After Kyoya got off the phone, we stood waiting on his limo to arrive. We didn't speak to each other much and I even protested Kyoya a little more saying that he didn't have to go through the trouble to have his chauffeur drive to the apartments; nevertheless, the Shadow King would simply answer that he would do it, and that it didn't bother him at all.

Once his limousine arrived, Kyoya opened the door for me to step in, and I did as bidden. I slid down the row of seats so that Kyoya could step in, except he sat in the seats across from me. Once he told his chauffeur that we were both ready, the car began rolling out of the parking lot and onto the main road. I was silent most of the time on the way back to the school, mostly because I was exhausted from walking around the park, but at least I enjoyed the time and company.

I turned to Kyoya with a grin, "So, did you have fun?"

"I did," he replied.

"Good," I spoke. "I was a little worried that you wouldn't."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Well, you just seem like the type to not enjoy fun and games," I explained. "Like I said, you're more of a workaholic. But, I'm glad you enjoyed it anyway."

Kyoya grinned back, but we remained silent after that. I was exhausted, and all I could think about was entering my room and collapsing on my bed, earning a well-needed rest. I could tell that Kyoya was thinking about sleeping-in tomorrow, especially since he wasn't much of a morning-person, according to what Tamaki told me. I rested my arm on the window sill while setting my head on top. As much as I wanted to fall asleep, I couldn't, especially since the appropriate thing to do would be strike up a conversation.

"You know," I spoke, lifting my head up, "You work really hard, Kyoya. But, really, you don't have to work every day. Besides, the weekend isn't even over; so, promise me you'll take it easy tomorrow."

Kyoya stared at me for a while, but then he adjusted his glasses. "I _will_ work tomorrow, but just not as much as I normally would."

I smiled. After a moment of silence, I spoke up, "You're hard to figure out, you know."

"How so?" inquired the Shadow King

"Well, at the club, you're the all-time businessman," I explained. "Whenever you're without your computer or notebook, you act like you're not interested in anything. It's like you have some kind of . . . multi-personality."

Kyoya smirked. "There's more to a person than meets the eye."

I grinned back. All of that was true. It takes one to know one anyway, that's what I learned over the years. For example, when I first met my brother, I thought he was a quirky goofball; however, after getting to know more about him, I realized how sweet and understanding he was.

Before I could say anything else, the limo came to a complete stop, and then I looked out the window to find that the limousine had parked right in front of the fountain, which was placed in the center of the school driveway. I sighed dreamily, wondering why this perfect day had to draw to an end; and once Kyoya's chauffeur opened the door, I stepped out of the limacine and onto the asphalt parking lot.

"Thanks again, Kyoya," I spoke, turning to him while he stepped out beside me. "Today was a blast."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he spoke with a small, genuine smile. Then he offered his arm to me. "Allow me to walk you to your room, Katherine-san."

I smiled, placing my arm in his, and we walked up the stairs with our arms locked. I don't even think that the smile we had plastered on our faces ever disappeared. The date at the amusement park went smoothly; and even though I had a fondness for all six of the male hosts, there was something about Kyoya that I was attached to. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but there was something about him that made me blush every time he spoke to me. All the other hosts had to either use their "charms" or lean in close to me for me to blush. Not the Shadow King, though.

As soon as we arrived outside of my dorm, I released the cool-type and turned to him. "I can't thank you enough for everything today, Kyoya, especially giving me a ride back to my apartment."

"It's no problem at all," he answered. "I had a fantastic time today."

My smile faded as I hung my head, thinking over what Kyoya had said during lunch. "_. . . I'll get the twins for this."_ or, back at the front gate, _"I'll get those Hitachiins . . ."_ I wasn't sure for myself, but it seemed like Kyoya was upset with the twins for setting him up on this date. Did he not want to go? If that was the case, did he not like me? Well, he probably was attracted to the way of how I prepared a different variety of baked goods for the club, which raked in twice as much profit. The one thing I knew about Kyoya; he only liked or became involved in something if it benefitted him.

"Is something wrong, Katherine-san?" he inquired.

I glanced up at him, returning to reality from my daydream, and then I sighed. "It's nothing," I answered. "I was just remembering what you said back during lunch. You know, when you were upset with the twins for setting you –well, me too– up on a date like that."

Kyoya adjusted his specs. "True. But, that was in the middle of the day. It was an unfair contest anyway."

"Yeah, but . . . but it seemed like you weren't really interested the entire day. I mean, you are a pretty good actor, from what I've observed, so it's hard to believe whether you really had a good time or not."

Then, I noticed that smirk cross the club's vice president's face. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but before I could ask what he was thinking about, Kyoya grabbed my arms pinning me against the wall. I was frightened wondering what in the world he was going to do to me. Kyoya only continued to grin as he stared at me, his beaming gray eyes locked onto my frightened ocean blue ones. I didn't know whether to scream, or use my martial arts on him; thus, I just stayed where I was gazing into his eyes.

A few moments passed by since the cool-type host pinned me to the wall, but it seemed like hours. Beads of sweat began to roll down from my scalp, dampening the roots of my hair, and then trailing down the side of my face. My breathing quickened while my heart began to race under the panic-attack. My face flushed a deep red, and then Kyoya pressed his forehead against mine.

"Would you believe me if I did this?" he inquired.

Just when I was about to scream for help, I inhaled sharply as Kyoya's mouth was sealed over mine. My heart began racing faster, but I closed my eyes and sighed, while every muscle in my body my body just relaxed. Even though I had only known the Shadow King for three months, I felt like I had known him my entire life. Everything just felt so right at that moment. It was if time had just stopped completely, and Kyoya and I were in our own little world. I sure didn't want this to end.

After a while, Kyoya released me; and as I opened my eyes, my gaze was met with his. This time, however, his smile seemed more serene and kind. As much as I wanted to smile back, I couldn't. Words couldn't explain how I was feeling right now. Emotions were jumbled together as they flowed inside of me, especially surprise and happiness. Releasing my arms, Kyoya stood straight up and adjusted his glasses.

"I'll see you Monday afternoon," he spoke before turning and walking away.

I stared at him as my gaze followed his figure as it descended down the stairwell and to his limo. Once the Kyoya had stepped into the vehicle, I continued to watch as it pulled out of the parking lot and traveled down the road. So many thoughts buzzed around in my mind, and I couldn't figure out if what just happened was real or not. Did Kyoya really kiss me? Or, did I really just fall asleep in the limousine and dreamed that he kissed me? I couldn't quite figure anything out, so I just walked into the apartment and prepared myself for bed.

* * *

**Oooooooooh!**

**"Kyoya and Katherine, sitting in a tree . . . K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"**

**Yeah, I'm not good at writing mushy, lovey scenes, but I think that this one turned out pretty good.**

**Replies to comments from last chapter:**

**SingingSyd: Sorry! I couldn't help myself XD.**

**Aurora-16: Thanks! Since school's staring up soon, I'll probably have to post the chapters during the weekend.**


	15. Dreams in Reality

**Hey Ouran fans!**

**I am SOOOOOO sorry it took me this long to post this chapter... 1). I had writer's block. And 2). I had a busy weekend.**

**But, now that that's all done . . . it's time to read on!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or its characters :( They rightfully belong to the wonderfully talented Hatori Bisco (Bisco Hatori, Or . . . whichever way you put it . . .)**

**Claimer: I DO own Katherine/K.C., Joe, Mackenzie, and everyone else who's NOT in the anime/manga.**

* * *

**~ Chapter 15 ~**

**Dreams in Reality**

Monday soon came around, and I found myself walking through the garden for the remainder of the lunch break. I couldn't stop thinking about the events of Saturday, especially what occurred that night after Kyoya dropped me off at my apartment. Did he really kiss me? It was late at the time, so I convinced myself that I had fallen asleep in his limousine and dreamed the entire thing. It was too impossible to believe anyway.

I slowed my pace as I passed by the hedge maze. Thoughts about Friday evening where I took Kyoya's notebook and ran as he chased me through the maze, and I blushed remembering the part when I tripped and Kyoya fell on top of me. Moments like that I would never forget, and memories last forever the more you hold onto them. I sighed dreamily as I continued my stroll through the garden.

"No fair, Yasuchika! Your feet weren't pointing forward!" a young male voice exclaimed.

I stopped wondering what in the world was going on. Curious, I followed the sound of two arguing voices along with the sound of wood clanking together. Peering around the corner of a fence, I found two young boys dressed in dark robes facing each other, tension splashed on their faces. Both of the boys, I recognized, were in my class. One of them was fair skinned, and he had short, light brown hair, with copper eyes hidden behind rectangular framed spectacles. The other boy was a tad darker skinned than the first boy. He had spiky, black hair and dark gray eyes, almost black.

"Yasuchika, you have to keep your feet facing forward as you move!" the spiky-haired one spoke to the other.

I slowly approached them as they continued to argue.

"I'm trying my best, Satoshi! Geez, you asked me to help you with this kendo tournament," the other replied. He looked down at the ground and then muttered, "I'd really rather be in the karate club that my alien brother used to run. . ."

Suddenly, the spiky-haired boy swung his bamboo sword and conked the other on the head, who then recoiled from the impact and tenderly rubbed the newly-formed lump on his head.

"How dare you disrespect your brother that way!" the spiky-haired shouted.

"Excuse me?" I inquired, stopping just a few meters away from the two boys. They turned to face me as I continued, "I apologize for intruding, but I was just wondering what you two boys were doing."

The two stared at me as if I didn't know anything, but then the spiky-haired boy rested his wooden sword on his shoulder as he spoke proudly: "We're practicing for the upcoming kendo tournament at the end of the term."

"You are anyway. . ." the other mumbled to the spiky-haired one. Then, the brown haired boy glanced over at me scanning me over a few times. "Say, aren't you in our class?"

I nodded. "My name is Katherine Johnson, but everyone calls me K.C. for short."

"Nice to meet you K.C.-san," the spiky-haired boy spoke. "I'm Satoshi Morinozuka."

"And I'm Yasuchika Haninozuka," the other boy added.

"Pleased to meet you both." Then, I pondered over their last names. "You two wouldn't happen to be related to Takashi or Mitsukuni, would you?"

"We sure are," Satoshi answered. "Takashi's my older brother, and Mitsukuni's Yasuchika's brother."

"He's no brother, he's an alien . . ." Yasuchika muttered.

That remark only gave him another whack on the head by Satoshi's bamboo sword.

"You should respect your brother!" he shouted.

"Easy for you to say," Yasuchika muttered. "You practically worship Takashi."

I stared at the two of them for a few moments. Man, these guys were polar opposites of their brothers. From what I've observed, Mori and Hunny get along just fine; however, their younger brother's don't seem to act the same. Hunny and Mori had a strong bond between the two of them, but Yasuchika and Satoshi didn't seem to have that type of bond; and if so, it must've been a weaker bond.

Mori was like the protective older brother to Honey, always making sure he didn't eat too much cake. Haruhi told me that Hunny forgot to brush his teeth one time and received a painful cavity, which, consequently, caused the Host Club to prohibit sweets around him until he was feeling better. Mori even blamed himself because he forgot to remind Honey to brush his teeth, but everything went back to normal in the end.

Then, my mind suddenly jumped to the question about the kendo tournament these two were practicing for.

"By the way," I spoke up, interjecting the boys' argument, "you two said you were practicing for a . . . kendo tournament, was it?" The two boys nodded. "Interesting. You two wouldn't mind if I stood by and watched, would you?"

"Not at all," Satoshi replied with a smile.

I grinned back as I found a nearby bench and took a seat. The two boys faced each other, their stick in hand. After a few moments of a staring competition, Yasuchika made the first move, swinging his bamboo sword around to hit Satoshi's arm. The spiky-haired boy blocked it with his sword and proceeded to strike Yasuchika. The clanking of wood echoed through the garden as the young boys continued to spar. Every once in a while Satoshi would hit Yasuchika's armored shoulder, gaining a point.

Satoshi was excellent kendo. Well, I had never been to an actual kendo session, so I didn't know the entire concept. I still couldn't believe that he was Mori's younger brother. He had the same skin color, and spiky hair; however, Satoshi was a lot more talkative than Mori. From what I've seen at the club Mori was a man of few words, literally. During hosting hours he would sit there and watch Honey, sometimes grunt or say a five-word sentence. He rarely struck up a conversation. He and Satoshi were polar opposites.

Yasuchika, however, didn't look anything like Hunny. Aside from being regular sized, Yasuchika's hair was darker, and he wore glasses. What was the whole thing about Hunny being an "alien"? In my opinion, if someone looked and acted a little childish, especially for a nineteen-year-old, that was just the way they were built. It was like what Haruhi told me when she didn't care if people saw her as a female or male: "People should be recognized for _who_ they are, not for what _sex_ they are." Or in Hunny's case, "how mature they are." I thought Honey was adorable just the way he was.

After about ten minutes or so, the two sparring boy grew tired and stopped training for the day. The two packed up their equipment while I stood to congratulate them on a job well done. As soon as I approached them, as if on cue, Honey sprung from out of nowhere and held me in another one of his bear-hugs.

"K.C.-chan!" he squealed.

"Hey, Hunny-senpai," I answered.

Afterwards, I set him back down on his feet, while Mori walked up to join the group. Now that Mori and Satoshi were together, they looked exactly the same, except Mori was a skyscraper compared to his younger brother.

"Hey, Satoshi. Hi, Chika-chan," Honey spoke to the two boys.

"Mitsukuni . . ." Yasuchika answered flatly.

There was silence after that as the two stared each other down, like a showdown in the old west. Heck, even in the silence you could hear the "Wah-wah-waaah" music. Suddenly, Yasuchika leapt into the air and swung his leg around. Hunny dodged it, however, by flipping back. The two were engaged in a full-fledged brawl using every type of martial art, swinging bamboo stick at each other, and even hurling shurikens. I've heard of sibling quarrels, but this took it to a whole new level.

"What're you two doing?" I called out to them. "This is crazy! Stop it!"

"Katherine," Mori spoke in his regular monotone voice.

I glanced up at him confused. Why weren't they trying to break these two up? Did Yasuchika and Hunny typically fight each other like they were doing now? If so, why didn't anyone put a stop to it? I could never stand it when two siblings argued over some frivolous thing; but this was just torture top watch. These two were brothers for crying out loud! I mean, if something happened to their parents, they would be the only ones to look out for each other.

"Someone has to do something!" I exclaimed, stepping out into the battlefield.

Mori seized my wrist and pulled me back to my spot. I couldn't understand it at all. Why wasn't he stopping these two?

"Let them fight," he spoke calmly, releasing me.

"It's what the Haninozuka's do," Satoshi added. "Whenever two Haninozuka's lock eyes with each other, they engage in a full battle. Not to try and kill each other though, just to pin the other down."

Was that it? Yasuchika and Hunny were just trying to keep to some family tradition? If there was a "tradition" like that in my family, I wouldn't know how to deal with myself. Never would I fight with my brother. I would fight people who were trying to harm me or others, but I wouldn't dare brawl with my own flesh and blood. Well, I guess some families honored their traditions whether they wanted to or not. It just made me wonder what dinner time at the Haninozuka's was like . . . The maids must stay late just to clean up the food off the walls.

Satoshi, Mori, and I continued to watch the Haninozuka brothers spar with every type of martial art move, and weapon imaginable; but in the end, Honey bested his young brother. I guess Tamaki was right. Hunny-senpai _was_ a little karate master.

"Wow, senpai," I spoke as the two brothers approached us. "You were great! I guess Yasuchika has a lot of practicing to do before he battles you again."

"The only reason why he constantly wins is because he isn't human," Yasuchika muttered. The three of us stared at him confused as he continued. "Once a week he always plans a 'cake night'. I went into the dining room one night to see what he was up to. He stuffed his face with three whole cakes and devoured it all in one bite." Then he gazed up at us. "That's not human! He's an alien I tell you!"

"Oh, Chika-chan, you're so silly," Hunny spoke with a wide grin.

I had known Hunny to eat at least three whole cakes during hosting hours, but not all at once. I didn't think he was an alien though. He just had a love for sweets. I should know because I spent hosting hours preparing cakes only to find that half of them were devoured by Honey. Sure, it put more work on my shoulder just to keep up, but he was adorable that way. Honey was the boy Lolita after all, so it was his character to act childish.

"Well," I began, breaking the silence, "lunch break is almost over, so I'm going to head back inside. Thank you for allowing me to watch your keno practice Satoshi-san and Yasuchika-san."

"No problem," they answered.

Then, I turned to the two college hosts. "And I'll see you two this afternoon."

With that I turned and traveled back through the garden and to the front of the high school building. Satoshi and Yasuchika sure worked hard to practice for that kendo tournament; and maybe when the tournament came around, I'd go and cheer them on. Of course, it was only Satoshi who was competing since Yasuchika was assisting him with practice. From what I witnessed, the younger Haninozuka was better at martial arts than sword-fighting.

Upon turning the corner, the bell suddenly rang. Quickening my pace, I dashed up to the door and entered the building.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The chimes of the dismissal bell rang, sending the students off to their limousine outside or to their clubs. Of course, for me that meant the tone for work. One thing I've noticed upon entering the Host Club was to expect the unexpected. For instance, if they (as in Tamaki) had come up with a great (as in crazy) idea for their weekly cosplay, one should expect it to be something "prince-related", or possibly a certain location like the tropics. Of course, Tamaki could come up with any idea for a cosplay with that crazy mind of his; but you have to admit that some of his ideas were pretty genius.

Ever since I first stepped into the Third Music Room, I felt like I was in a world beyond worlds. Other than being in a totally different country, the Host Club was a place where you could just forget about your worries and relax. That was how it was for me for the first month, until I accidentally broke Kyoya's glasses. Now, I'm their personal chef, and the only time I ever get to chat with the hosts is before I begin work and after hosting hours, which lasts for about ten minutes maximum. But, why was I complaining about that. At least I have friends here that accept me for who I was, no matter how different we all were.

Upon reaching Music Room 3, I set my hand on the golden handle and turned it while pushing it open. Like always, I was ambushed with the flow of flower petals and the blinding bright light, which dimmed down after a while, revealing the seven hosts. The room wasn't decorated, so there wasn't any cosplay today, thankfully.

"Oh, it's just K.C.," the twins spoke with bored expressions.

"Who were you expecting? Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura?" I inquired flatly, stepping into the room.

"Well, since you're here," Kyoya began, not taking his eyes off his laptop. "You might as well get started on the desserts."

I stared at him for a while, as my mind jumped back to what had occurred Saturday night, and then I made my way across the room to the kitchen. What was up with Kyoya? It was like everything on Saturday didn't even happen. Well, hosting hours were about to begin, so he was probably getting into character. Still, every time the picture of his face mere inches away from mine popped up in my head, followed by him sealing his lips over mine, made me wonder if that truly did occur. I had convinced myself that I had really fallen asleep in his limousine on the ride back to the apartments, but it just all seemed too real to be a dream.

Unsure of what to believe, I erased the debate from my mind as I tied my apron around my waist. Saturday had already come and gone, and no matter how much I pondered on Kyoya kissing me, I had to let it go. It just didn't seem his character anyway.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Hosting hours were the same old, same old that day, busy organizing the desserts on the plate like how I would every afternoon at the club. I sure was glad once it was over, because I had a few tests to study for this week. After hanging up my apron and grabbing my satchel, I checked to make sure the room was secure and no guests had decided to stay for a little while afterwards. Once I knew that the room was clear, I stepped out of the kitchen and made my way to the door.

"So," a pair of voices spoke, stopping me in my tracks. "We heard you had fun on Saturday, K.C."

I turned around to find the two twins with those devilish smirks on their faces. Sure, I was a little upset with them for setting me, as well as Kyoya, up, but I had to let stuff like that go; and besides, at least I was able to get to know him a little better.

"Yeah, tons," I answered.

The twins then walked towards me until they stood on either side of me, which they tended to do every once in a while. Hikaru was on my left, while Kaoru was on my right.

"Did Kyoya say anything?" Hikaru questioned.

"Or, was there any other sort of lip contact?" Kaoru added.

My face flustered a deep red as pictures of Saturday night flooded into my mind again. As much as it seemed real, I was unsure if it was.

I only smirked. "I don't kiss and tell."

"So, there _was_ lip-lock going on then!" they proclaimed.

"WHAT?" cried a voice from across the room.

The three of us turned to find Tamaki charging towards up at what seemed like one hundred miles an hour. The twins stepped to the side, but I didn't doge the club president in time before he grabbed me by the shoulders.

"What's this I hear about kissing?" Tamaki shouted. "You haven't kissed anyone have you, Katherine? Without Daddy's permission?"

"Uh . . ."

"You did, didn't you?" Tamaki shrieked before releasing me, and staggering backwards rather over-dramatically. "Are you _that _rebellious against me, Katherine? Why would you not tell me? Do you not trust Daddy?"

"Senpai, please, I never said that I kissed anyone," I answered irritated. "And if I did, it's no one's business but my own."

"But Daddy's only trying to protect his precious daughter," Tamaki whined.

"I'm not your-" Before ending, I took a look at his saddened face and watery eyes as he stared at me. Not wanting to hurt his feelings, I sighed. "You know, let's just drop this. Besides, I have schoolwork to finish. See you guys tomorrow."

With that, I turned and took my leave, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind me. Ever since the beach trip to Okinawa, I've been dubbed as Tamaki's daughter, like how Haruhi was. Guess that made us sisters. Well, Haruhi was much like a sister to me, but I wasn't so sure about Tamaki being my father. I know I had a true, biological father, but I didn't remember much about him, nor my mother. I was too young to remember anything about living at the estate.

What I couldn't get out of my mind was Saturday night when Kyoya walked me to my apartment room. As real as it seemed, I couldn't force myself to believe it. Every time the thought popped into my mind, I blocked it off so that I could stay focused on what I was doing; and when I thought that I had gotten rid of it for good, the twins had to bring up the topic about "Saturday" and "kissing". Kyoya did say that he enjoyed the time at the theme park, but I don't think that he was truly into me at all.

If there was one thing I knew about the Shadow King was that he was always three steps ahead of everyone, just like a chess playing champion. That was exactly what he was, and I was just a mere pawn to draw in more profits for the club by baking desserts that wouldn't cost the club a cent. That's all he was into. Raking in profits, and he would only get involved with something if it benefitted from it. So if he was truly into me, it was just for business.

"So, you're denying it?" a voice questioned from the shadows.

I gasped, startled and whirled around to find Kyoya standing behind me. It was scary how he always seemed to appear out of nowhere whenever I was thinking about him.

"Denying what?" I inquired, confused.

"Saturday night," he answered.

An exasperated sigh escaped my throat. "Why are the hosts so worked up about what happened on Saturday?"

"They were just making sure everything turned out fine," Kyoya replied, with that grin on his face. "Even the twins would want to know if their plan worked out perfectly."

"Oh, right," I grumbled. There was a pause, and then I looked up at Kyoya. "Well, what happened Saturday was just a hang-out, not a date-date. Besides, I fell asleep in the limo the entire ride to the apartment, so everything that I thought occurred was all just a dream."

"Like what?"

I stopped, wondering why he was questioning me about the event. "It was late at the time, so I barely remember it. But, basically, you escorted me all the way to my apartment room, and then . . ." I trailed off, glancing away as blush formed on my cheeks.

Right when I turned me head back to face the Shadow King, I found that his face was mere inches away from mine. Kyoya had his hand against the wall, propping himself up since he was leaning forward in front of me. He still had that grin on his face as his piercing gaze locked onto mine. I'm sure my face was as red as a tomato as I stared into his deep, gray eyes. My body couldn't move, and my voice hid in my throat.

"And then . . . what?" he inquired.

My lips quivered, attempting to form the words, and my voice wouldn't produce the slightest squeak. I felt like I was a deer gazing into the headlights of a car, stunned while awaiting death. Finally, I was able to look down, averting my gaze.

"Who cares? It's not important," I replied, turning around.

Right when I was about to take my first step, I felt Kyoya seize my wrist with his hand, and then he pulled me back towards him. "Kyoya-sen-"

But my voice was cut off when the Shadow King sealed his lips over mine. My muscles relaxed as I closed my eyes. It was just like in my dream . . . if that was a dream. If it was, then was this a dream as well? Kyoya didn't seem like the type to become emotionally attached to someone; heck, I didn't think he had any emotions at all. Well, he was human, right? Maybe he wasn't the workaholic businessman everyone saw him as. Maybe, just maybe, there was another side to him.

Soon, even though I wished it didn't end, Kyoya released me, and we both gazed into each other's eyes for a while. I noticed that Kyoya had pasted on a calmer, genuine smile, something that I, the hosts, or anyone, rarely would see on his face. Nevertheless, I had to smile back.

"And then . . . that?" inquired the Shadow King.

I nodded. "You sure were right, senpai."

Kyoya raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"There's more to a person than meets the eye," I answered.

A weak laugh escaped his throat, and then Kyoya stood straight up and adjusted his glasses. "Well, I best be on my way." Then, with one hand in his pocket and the other holding on to the strap on his bag, he brushed passed me and walked down the hall. However, Kyoya turned back and grinned. "See you tomorrow, Katherine-san."

Then, he turned back around and walked down the hall.

* * *

**Phew . . . that's done . . .**

**Yays! Chika and Satoshi's first appearance!**

**Notes: For those of you who were curious, Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura are two girls of the Japanese Rock band: Puffy AmiYumi. Yeah, it's probably been five or so years since they were popular.**

**Anyways, hope you guys are enjoying everything so far.**

**Replies to comments from last chapter:**

**Aurora-16: Yeah, I'm not too great with kissing scenes . . . But, Kyoya being paired up with K.C. was pretty much a dead give-away. Sorry about the cliff-hanger. I couldn't resist :). Oooh Truffle. Yays!**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: Awww thanks. I've got the whole plot set up and how it's going to end, it's just writing the chapters that's the hardest. XD**

**kayo-hime: Yeah . . . I kinda based it off a Cedar Fair Park, since most of them have Drop Zones, especially the one near where I live. That ride scares the heck out of me! But, since i wasn't sure what type of rides (besides roller coasters) Japanese theme parks had, I just decided to add that in there. XD.**


	16. Cinderella

**Hey, everyone!**

**Okay, for those of you who are wondering . . . I deleted my previous Chapter 16 because I thought that cramming the Zuka Club into my story was just too much to handle . . . Besides, K.C. is having enough trouble with Kimiko and her gang, right?**

**Well, here's the newly written Chapter 16!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club . . . . blah blah blah . . . you guys get the picture . . .**

**Claimer: I own K.C. (Yays!), Joe, Kenzie, and everyone else that is NOT mentioned in the anime/manga**

* * *

**~ Chapter 16 ~**

**Cinderella**

June quickly faded, and the sun began to heat up the earth as July came around. That Friday, I found myself using the last bits of class break to study. After the dismissal bell rang for lunch break, I found myself sitting at one of the many long banquet tables in the lunch room, with Tao sitting across from me. We became friends rather quickly after the Okinawa beach vacation, most likely because she was one of the victims that were nearly kidnapped by those men. Well, I was just glad that I was even making friends in this school, especially female friends, since the host club beat the girls six to two.

"So, K.C.," Tao spoke up after a while. "Are you busy this afternoon?"

"A little . . . kind of," I replied, not wanting to give too much away. "Why ask?"

"I was just wondering if you'd like to come to the Host Club with me," answered Tao.

I looked down at my food on the table, pretending to think over the offer; however, I already knew the answer. I couldn't allow her to discover that I actually worked for the club; and plus, I would have to travel back and forth from the kitchen to the table and at least _try_ not to raise her suspicions. Tao was becoming a close friend though, and I didn't want to lie to her; however, I couldn't tell her the truth . . . not yet.

Lifting my head up face her, I put on a small smile. "Thanks for offering, Tao, but it all depends on how much work Sensei piles on me. Plus, with exams coming up, I need to be studying."

"That's all right. Maybe some other time, then?"

"Definitely."

"You are going to the Host Club Ball at the end of the term, right?"

"Huh?"

Tao stared at me surprised. "You haven't heard? The Host Club is holding a ball the week after exams."

"I've heard about it, but I guess I forgot."

"Well, are you going?"

"I might."

"Well, I hope you will. I heard about the ball they hosted last year during the blooming of the cherry blossoms. I heard it was amazing."

"I'll think about it."

There wasn't really much to think about, since it was a Host Club even, which meant that I would be put to work to help set it up and prepare the food. I really didn't need Kyoya to inform me on all the stuff, I could already tell that it would be one busy night. Well, maybe they just wanted me to prepare the food and help set up the ball room, or, wherever they were going to hold their dance. After that, I'd probably leave back to my apartment. Besides, you need dates for dances, right?

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as the lunch bell rang, Tao and I traveled to class together. She was still chatting and dreaming about the ball, while I only smiled and nodded my head, a little trick I picked up from Mori-senpai. Tao didn't seem to mind, though, and continued telling me about all the dresses she found that she was thinking about wearing for the Host Club's Ball. She said that it was a princess-themed dance, which I expected since Tamaki had used Renge's suggestion for the theme. I could just picture the joyous look on the girl's face as they slipped on the shoe to find that it was a perfect fit. With over a thousand guests at the Host Club, it could be anyone.

As much as I wanted to fantasize more about the dance, I had to stay focused during class. With the exams coming up, I would have to create any type of idea to help me study whether it was taking notes, or turning it into a game. Well, a game may not work, since it would only be me playing it, so flash-cards were another option. I had to make the top of my class, because, if I didn't I would most likely expelled or degraded to Class 1-D. Haruhi told me once that it almost happened to her after making a careless mistake. (She actually skipped a question to come back to it later, but forgot).

I did fine during the mid-term exams back in June, with Yasuchika and Satoshi in second and third. Speaking of the two, their desks were, coincidentally, right behind mine. During class break, they would chat more about the upcoming kendo tournament Satoshi would be competing in. I overheard nearly every word they said, even when Yasuchika muttered something about his brother. Of course, since Satoshi didn't have his wooden stick with him, he grabbed the first thing he saw, which was his text book, and whacked Yasuchika in the head with it. After that, it was just back and forth bickering about "respecting your brother", but I blocked out everything they said. They were polar opposites from their older brothers, and it seemed like they had a completely different relationship compared to Hunny and Mori.

As soon as the bell rang, the students swarmed from their desks and out the door and walked down the hall to their clubs or to their limousines waiting outside the building. Like always, I walked down the long hallways until I reached the south wing of the building. Two more weeks until it was all over for the first term. I'd be free from the Host Club for a whole month and spend time with my brother. I just picture in my mind arrive home to a surprise "Welcome Home" party, but I doubt that Joseph would have the time to prepare anything; plus, there wouldn't be that many people to invite.

Upon reaching the door to the music room, I could hear a collection of voices from inside. I wasn't late, and hosting hours hadn't even begun yet. Curious, I turned the door handle and peered inside, only to find Haruhi shouting at the Hitachiin brothers, who were holding up a tight, black, halter-top dress that didn't even have a back to it. In my opinion, it was rather revealing, and Haruhi seemed to agree.

"THERE'S NO WAY I'M WEARING _THAT_ TO THE FORMAL!" she shouted at the twins.

"But, you'll look great," Hikaru protested.

"And, it accents your figure," Kaoru added.

I stepped into the room, closing the door behind me; however, none of them seemed to notice me. I just stood there and watched the back-and-forth argument between the twins and female host, when suddenly Tamaki cut in.

"That's enough out of you two!" he yelled. "I will not allow my daughter to dress inappropriately! And besides," he added, pulling a pink dress out of nowhere, "this one looks better!"

The pink dress was puffy at the shoulders, and the sleeves stretched down to the elbows. The skirt of the dress was large and frilly, and it stretched all the way down to the floor. I glanced at the dress and then over at Haruhi, picturing the dress on her. The dress truly accented her figure and was a nice color; but if she wore a dress to the Host Club's Ball, wouldn't that give away her true identity? I was sure the Host Club had something in mind.

"Boss, that dress makes her look she's from the 1400's," the twins remarked bluntly. "It's not much of a "fairy-tale princess" look."

"No it doesn't!" Tamaki shouted at them. "It's perfect compared to your suggestion!"

After that, the three of them continued to argue. Apparently, none of them seemed to notice that I had walked into the room, well it didn't matter anyway, and I found it rather humorous that the only thing on their minds was that ball and they blocked out everything else around them. Sighing, I walked right passed them and headed straight for the kitchen to begin my work. As soon as I had taken about five or so steps, I felt someone seize my arms and turn me around to face the bickering group.

"Well, if Haruhi gets that dress, then K.C. gets this one," the twins spoke mischievously while holding the black dress up in front of me.

I stared down at the dress, and then I swallowed hard picturing myself in it. Obviously, like all formals, there would be people taking pictures; and if I came home and Joe found a picture of me in a tight dress like that, I wouldn't hear the end of it. Joseph was just like Tamaki when it came to caring for someone, especially his over-protectiveness; but I knew that it was only because he wanted me to make the right decisions and not do anything I would regret later in life.

"I will _not_ allow either of my daughters to wear such a thing!" the club president retorted. Then he tossed the pink dress in the air and pulled a long rack of dresses out into the middle of the room. "These are the ones they may wear."

The twins pouted and stuck their tongue out at Tamaki, while Haruhi sighed and walked away.

"Oooh!" Hunny squealed, pulling out a short-sleeved, blue gown with a lace collar. "I wanna see K.C.-chan in this one!"

"Look, you guys," I spoke, pushing the black dress away from in front of me. "I really appreciate you all offering to help me, but I don't think I'm even going."

After that, I turned and walked into the kitchen. I needed to say something that would get him and the twins off my back about what dress I would wear for the ball; heck, I didn't think I was even going. I'd help set up the room, yeah, but not actually _attend_. I didn't have a date anyway, so why even bother going? Besides, the dance was the day after exams; so after assisting the club, I would head back to my apartment and turn in early.

I sighed, now understanding how Cinderella felt when she couldn't go to the ball. Well, that story was a little different than my situation; but I haven't checked how much money I had in my wallet, so I wasn't sure if I had enough to pay for my own gown, plus shoes and accessories. Well, there would be other dances. It's not like it was _that_ important. Setting my satchel down by the counter, I took my apron off the hook and tied it around my waist. No time to dream about the dance now that there was work to be done.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Hosting hours seemed to last forever. I would glance out the window every once in a while to find that there was at least three times as many customers as usual. Well, I haven't peeked a look into the club room in a while, so that could be the regular amount of customers the hosts received. Still, I couldn't help but feel like I was preparing twice as many sweets as I normally did. Thinking that I was rushing myself, I released a deep breath and relaxed before beginning work again.

As soon as the last group of ladies filed out of the room, I stored the leftover cake in the refrigerator for Hunny, and then hung my apron up on the hook. With both exams and the Host Club dance next week, I would be rather busy. My first priority was to get out of the club room and out of the Academy so that I could make it back to my apartment in to study. I needed as much time as I needed, plus with homework, I'd be up all night. Of course, there was always the weekends.

Shouldering my messenger bag, I walked out the kitchen to find Tamaki, and the twins back over at the rack of gowns, most likely continuing their argument of what Haruhi would wear to the formal. Why would they even put her in a dress? I thought they wanted her to keep her identity as secret, didn't they? Well, maybe they would put a wig on her to make her look like a girl, to fool the other guests.

Ignoring them, I walked straight towards the door to make my leave. After stepping out of the room and closing the door, I sighed relieved that the day was finally over with, and I would have the entire weekend to study.

I began walking again, but before I could turn the corner, I was stopped by a monotone, male voice. "Katherine-san, could I speak with you for a minute?"

Already knowing who it was, I turned to face him. "Sure, Kyoya-senpai, what do you need?"

"As you may already know, they Host Club is holding a dance at the end of the month after exams," he answered, not taking his eyes off his notebook.

"Trust me, all the girls I passed by were talking about it," I remarked flatly.

"Since it is a Host Club event," Kyoya began, "you will help us with setting up the ballroom and prepare the food that will be served."

I groaned slightly. Just what I had expected. "Don't worry, senpai, I'll be sure to be there on time."

After that, I turned back and began walking down the hall. I had only taken a few steps when Kyoya spoke up again. "One more thing."

I sighed. This was taking up my study time. Concealing my annoyed expression behind a small smile, I turned back to the vice-president. "Sure, what is it?"

Kyoya had that grin splashed on his face as he closed his notebook with one hand. After adjusting his glasses, he turned to me for the first time in our brief conversation. "It's just one simple thing, that's all."

"Let me guess. You guys want me to dress up as the fairy godmother, give the 'chosen girl' a makeover and then take her to you guys to try on the shoe. Right?"

Kyoya only chuckled weakly. "No."

"Pumpkin carriage driver?" I inquired.

"On the contrary, Katherine, you don't have to do any of that."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Then, what?"

With that grin still plastered on his face, the Shadow King adjusted his glasses and walked up to me. "All you have to do is answer one question."

"O-kay."

I was unsure of what he was talking about. Since it was a Cinderella-themed dance, I would expect him to make me dress up as one of the characters, and I didn't think that dressing up as one of the mice would work out well. But, a question? What kind of question?

Kyoya's grin grew at least a quarter of an inch wider as he locked his gaze onto mine. "Katherine Johnson, will you accompany me to the Host Club Ball?"

My eyes widened as I stared up at him surprised. He had that genuine smile spread on his lips, just like back during out blind date at the theme park. I wasn't sure what to say, but then I realized that this was Kyoya I was dealing with. I wasn't the type to jump to conclusions; but when it came to Kyoya, there was always some kind of deal. Kind of a "give a little, get a little" type of thing. So if he was offering to be my "date" to the formal, there _had _to be something he wanted in return.

"What's the catch?" I inquired.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow, puzzled, but kept that smile still on his face. "What catch?"

"You know what I'm talking about, senpai," I spoke. "Obviously, you want something from me in return for offering me a date to the dance."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "There is no catch, Katherine-san. Just accept or deny the invitation."

I thought over it. No catch? That was strange, even for Kyoya. Well, from what I was taught, if you were invited to an event, you should attend; or else they may never ask you again. From what I knew about Kyoya, aside from his family owning that private police force, the Otori Company was one of the most powerful companies in the world, so I've heard anyway. So, being invited by him would be considered an honor, but for me, I wasn't sure what to think of it.

After experiencing lip-lock with Kyoya twice, I suspected that he had a fondness for me, but I still wasn't sure that I had a fondness for him. I mean, I did like him, but did I "love" him? I wasn't sure what to think. Then, I remembered back during our "date" at the theme park. I truly enjoyed spending time with Kyoya; but aside from the blurry images of us strolling through the park together, the only vivid image that remained in my mind was when he walked me back to my apartment room and kissed me for the first time. I remember how shocked I was at the surprise, and all my feelings were jumbled together. Was that "love"? I wasn't sure.

After coming to a decision, I smiled and glanced back up at the Otori boy. "Sure. I'll join you, Kyoya-senpai."

"Excellent," he spoke. "As you may have already heard, the dance is the week after exams, which is the last Tuesday of July. I'll pick you up around eight." Kyoya gingerly cupped my chin in his hand and leaned forward until his forehead was pressed against mine. "I'll see you there, Katherine-san."

Then, he planted a small peck on my lips before standing back up and walking down the hall. I stood there frozen as my face began to heat up. Placing a hand over my mouth, I smiled. Even though that was the third time Kyoya had kissed me, it still felt special, and I wasn't sure if my heart would ever return to its normal pace. Thankfully, it did though, and as soon as I knew that my face returned to its normal color, I walked down the hall.

As soon as I turned the corner, however, I bumped into another student. It was a female student; and, apparently I had startled her because her books she was carrying fell onto the floor.

"Oh, gomen nasai," I apologized, kneeling down to gather her books together. "I didn't see . . . you."

At that moment, I had looked up to see who I bumped into, and I nearly gasped realizing who it was.

"Kimiko-san," I spoke. "Funny running into you."

"Yeah . . . literally," she growled under her breath.

Obviously, she was upset about something, but I wasn't sure what. Letting that question slide, I glanced around to find that she was the only one in the hall besides me. "Where are Ochira and Momoka?"

"Home. They left right after the Host Club ended."

"Oh."

I handed her the books she dropped, but then I noticed that she had also dropped her pencil. I picked it up and stared at it curiously . . . scratch that, I picked up _each half _of it and stared at it curiously. The writing utensil had been broken in half somehow, and I wasn't sure what to conclude.

So, I had to ask: "What happened to your pencil?"

Kimiko snatched it from me hand and stuffed it into her bag along with her school books. "I stepped on it."

"O-kay."

There was a moment of silence before the two of us stood up. Even though she tried to put more onto my debt by nearly breaking that vase, I couldn't stay angry with her. Besides, that happened months ago.

"Well," I began, splashing on a small smile. "It was nice seeing you again, Kimiko-san."

"Yeah . . . you too," she muttered.

Then, she turned and walked down the hall while I stared at her curiously wondering what upset her. Shrugging the question off, I walked down the hall and out of the building. I would be busy this weekend that was for sure. Now that I would be attending the formal with Kyoya, I would have to buy a gown. Of course, I wanted to impress him, since he was rich after all, and not wear something "commoner-ish". I still had to have enough money to pay for it, as well as the shoes and accessories, so I decided that tomorrow afternoon, I would head over to the last place I would ever dare to go . . . the mall.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The remainder of Friday flew by, and before I even knew it I was on a bus to the shopping mall downtown. At the beginning of the school year, I had turned my US dollars into the Japanese currency so that I could pay for my lunch and everything during school; but ever since I began to bring a packed lunch, I've kept my money stored in my wallet. Yeah, I'll admit that I'll pick up a few coins on the sidewalk on the way to school; but, hey, I only had about $150 in my walled (15,000 yen). Since ball gowns back home typically cost a little more than one-hundred dollars, I had just enough to pay for everything. I couldn't go over my budget, but I also didn't want to wear anything that made me look like "a commoner". I sighed. If Mackenzie were with me, she'd know what to do.

Shopping was not one of my favorite hobbies, but whenever Kenzie took me to the mall with her, she'd drag me around the store and try on at least twenty different outfits; but, she understood that I wasn't that into shopping, so I let her pick the top three that looked best on me. Whenever it came to style, Mackenzie was the expert. Now that I was put in a situation where I had to choose the dress myself, I wasn't sure what to do. Well, all I did know was that the clothing had to look appropriate, my size, and wasn't too snug anywhere. If I could find a dress that fit perfectly, I'd be out of the store and back to my textbooks in no time at all.

After the bus pulled ino the parking lot and came to a halt at the front entrance, I stepped out and looked around. There were a few girls in groups of friends, while others were with a best friend. Was I really the only one who was single? It made me feel a little uncomfortable at first, but then I shook it off and walked inside. First thing I had to do was locate the store, find a few dresses, try each on, get one, and then leave. That was the one thing I was glad about. I wasn't the type of girl who would travel from store to store just to see what they had. I was more of the "know what to get, get it, and go" type.

It only took about five minutes to locate the store in the mall and go there. Once I stepped into the room, I gazed in awe at the displays of the dresses to choose from. They had a dress of every size, type, and color, but I could only take one back. Walking around the displays, I began to think of what I wanted my dress to look like. It had to have sleeves, or at least straps on it, and it had to be the right color, especially not pink, which I saw a lot of. Yellow was out of the question, especially since I wore a yellow uniform to school every day; plus, the twins said that yellow wasn't that great of a color on me.

In the end, I picked out three gowns that caught my attention, and I headed into the dressing room to change. The first one was a scarlet red, spaghetti strap, chiffon dress; of course, I turned that one down since it hugged my legs too much. So, with one dress down, I had two left. The next one was a pale blue, also spaghetti strapped, gown that frilled out at the bottom, and it came with a tick white ribbon to tie around my waist. As much as I loved the second dress, I discovered that it was a bit too low-cut for me. Well, that left one gown remaining. As soon as I slipped into it and zipped it up, I gazed at myself in the mirror and turned around to check out the back of the dress. It was an emerald green chiffon dress that had long sleeves that extended to my elbows. It wasn't too tight, and it frilled out a little at the bottom.

I smiled at myself before twirling around. It was perfect! Of course, that depended on the price. Fumbling around at my side, I finally caught the little piece of paper and glanced down to look at the cost: **11,000 yen**. That left four-thousand for accessories and matching shoes. Well, I really didn't need any jewelry to go with the gown. Honestly, I liked it whether I had accessories or not.

After placing the other two dresses back on the display racks, I made my way to the counter and paid the cashier for the dress. Afterwards, I walked through the mall to the shoe store. It didn't take long to try on shoes since all I had to do was pull one pair out of the box and slip it on, so there was less struggle trying on the shoes. Eventually I purchased a pair of dark green heels, which were only about half an inch. I wouldn't wear heels that were any higher since I could barely walk around and lose my balance.

Now that I had everything I would need for the formal, with a little less than one-thousand yen left over, I made my way back out to the front of the mall and stood at the bus stop. For my first time shopping on my own, I would say that I did fairly well, and I presumed that I would fit the part of a rich girl now that I would look like a true fairytale princess. Mackenzie sure would be proud.

Suddenly, realization struck me, and I mentally slapped my forehead with the palm of my hand. According to Tamaki, this was going to be a masquerade formal, and I had forgotten to buy a mask. Well, I could always buy a normal one at a 99-cent store, or whatever they called them here in Japan. I could decorate my own mask, but I wouldn't worry about that now, I'd do that the next weekend. For now, I had to get back to my apartment and study for the exams.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Time sure did fly by fast, and before I even realized it, I was in my apartment fixing my hair for the Ball. I had made the top of my class in the exams, thankfully. The Host Club had been closed for the past three days because they had to prepare the ballroom for the dance. They had hired expert designers to set up decorations and giant chandeliers that hung from the ceiling; and, I must admit that I enjoyed preparing the food and decorating the desserts we would serve.

I used the curling iron to curl each strand of my hair just slightly and then brushed it making it look a bit more wavy; and then, I pulled the top layer of my hair back into a ponytail with a thin green ribbon tied into a bow. The twins said that I looked better with my hair down anyway, most likely because they always saw me with my hair pulled back into a low ponytail. I smiled at myself in the reflection as I brushed some blush on my face.

Then I glanced over at my mask I would wear for the formal. It was a simple, oval shaped mask with eye-holes and a dent in between that ran over the bridge of my nose. I had decorated it with green glitter and a string of silver sequins around the edges, and little green feathers were organized across the top. I had just finished it, so, while waiting for the glue to dry, I slipped into my dress and fixed my hair and applied light make-up.

As soon as I was finished, I took the mask in my hands and sighed with pleasure. I knew how much my brother would want to know about this, so I took out my camera and set it on top of a few of my textbooks until I had it at the appropriate height, set on the timer, and then ran in front of it. After the flash I took the camera and waited for the picture to process. Once it showed up on the little screen, I smiled.

Suddenly there I heard the doorbell ring. That couldn't have been Kyoya because it was only 6:55pm. I wasn't sure why he would be here at this time. Unless, he decided to show up early for some kind of surprise. I wasn't know, but my hopes began to sky-rocket. With the mask slipped up to the top of my head, I walked out of the room and to the door. Peering through the little peephole, I couldn't see anyone outside, and I didn't think that Honey knew where I lived. Opening the door, I found that there was no one outside; however, just as I was about to close the door, I noticed a slip of paper on the ground. Puzzled, I picked it up and read it:

_Dear Katherine,_

_I know that it is early, but I decided to give you a surprise before the dance.  
If you are curious to know what it is, meet me at the gazebo in the hedge  
maze outside of the school. Your surprise will be waiting for you there._

_Yours truly,_

_Kyoya Otori._

My heart began to flutter as I read it over a few more times, making sure that I wasn't mistaking myself. So, there _was_ a surprise he planned. Of course, Kyoya didn't seemed like the type to have something special planned before an important event. After thinking over the thought, the entire Host Club may have assembled this _surprise_. Heck, maybe this note was actually written by Tamaki, and he wanted to get me and Kyoya together.

Without hesitation, I closed the door behind me and locked it before taking my leave. I had to take my shoes off in order to descend the staircase for fear of falling over and ruining my dress. That was one thing that I did not want to happen. If I were to meet Kyoya in the hedge maze, I wanted to look presentable. It was rather ironic that Kyoya would decide to meet at that gazebo, especially since that was the place where he caught up to me and fell on top of me when I tripped.

Like always, it took roughly twenty minutes to reach the school campus, and I could see the lights in one section of the building switched on, which was where the ball would be held. The garden was just around on the side of the building, so it didn't take me long to get there. I stood at the entrance of the hedge maze, with nerves wracking my body. Releasing a deep breath, I pulled down my mask over the top of my face and then slowly walked into the maze. Even though I had been through the grassy labyrinth before, I couldn't quite remember where the gazebo was located except for the fact that it was at the very back of the maze.

It took at least ten minutes before I arrived there; but as I glanced around, there was no sight of the Otori boy.

"Hello?" I called out. "Kyoya-senpai? Are you here?"

"Well, looks like the mouse is out of its hole," spoke a haughty voice.

Spinning around, I came face to face with Kimiko dressed in a pink gown with a smug smile spread across her revealed lips. The mouse was out of its hole? What did that mean? Suddenly, the answer hit me, and I mental slapped my forehead with my head wondering why I was such an idiot! The note was a forgery sent by Kimiko to lead me into a trap! I wasn't sure if Ochira or Momoka were in on the entire plan, but I didn't want to find out. Whirling back around, I ran in the opposite direction.

"You can run, but you can't hide, Katherine!" Kimiko's voice echoed from where I left her.

Frantically searching for the exit, I found myself turning at random corners. I was lost! On top of all that, I couldn't run fast with the shoes I was wearing. I didn't have time to stop and take them off, not with Kimiko or her followers on my tail. Eventually, I came across the middle of the maze with a large fountain in the center. I stopped here to catch my breath, hoping that I lost the other girls.

Boy, was I wrong.

"Are you tired, K.C.-chan?" Ochira's voice taunted.

"You should take a rest," Momoka chimed in.

"We'll take care of you," Kimiko finally ended.

Spinning around on my heels I found that each girl blocked the only three doorways out of here. I swallowed hard and back away the closer the three girl came to me. Right when I turned around to run passed them, Kimiko grabbed me by my arm and shoulder, ripping the sleeves off. And right when I glanced up, I only received a face full of dirt which was flung by Ochira while Momoka poured an entire flower pot on top of me.

"Look what you've girls done," Kimiko pretended to chide them. "Now her dress is filthy."

"Oopsie," Momoka teased.

"Guess she had to wash off then," Ochira added with a sly smile.

Before I could react, the three girls shoved me forcefully backwards. I couldn't keep my balance because of the shoes, and I ended up tripping into the fountain. As soon was my head emerged from the surface of the water, I looked to find that the three girls had already left. Afterwards, I glanced down at myself. My sleeves were now bundled up at my wrists and my sopping hair clung to my back like a magnet on metal. I was sure that my face was a mess with all the makeup smeared.

I just couldn't believe it. My worst nightmare had come true. From the beginning of the school year, I tried my hardest to make sure I made the right friends and not get into any cliques; however, it turned out that I ended up as a target for one of the mean girls. What did I ever do to them?

Suddenly, thoughts of Kimiko flooded into my mind: "_Kyoya-kun! . . . I'm better now that you're here." _. . ._ "What happened to your pencil?" "I stepped on it."_

Now it all made sense! Since Kimiko had an obvious crush on Kyoya, she was hoping that he would ask _her_ to be his date. Of course, two weeks ago when Kyoya asked _me _to be his date, Kimiko must've been standing there the entire time, and she broke her pencil out of pure envy. Was she jealous of me just because Kyoya asked me and not her? Possibly. But, I knew now that I couldn't enjoy my time at the ball since I was a wreck. Now I knew how Cinderella felt when her stepsisters tore up her dress; the only difference was that there was no fairy godmother here to create a new dress from pure magic for me.

Pulling myself out of the fountain, I walked out of the section of the maze. It took another ten minutes or so until I finally found the exit; but I wasn't heading for the ballroom, I was heading straight back to my apartment. There was no way I could attend such a fancy party looking like something the cat dragged in. What would Kyoya think? As soon as I thought about the Otori boy, I gasped, and I glanced up at the clock tower. 7:45pm. Kyoya was already on his way to pick me up and escort me to the ball, but I couldn't bear to show my face around him with the way I looked.

As soon as I reached the apartment buildings, I looked up and there stood Kyoya at my door, obviously impatient. Quickly racing over to the stairwell, I hid underneath and waited for Kyoya to leave. After what seemed like forever, I heard his footsteps descend down the stairs above me, and I watched as he entered the limousine, with a rather saddened look on his face. Did I hurt him? Did he think that I didn't like him and didn't want to be his date? Well, it was difficult to determine whether or not he was truly upset, especially since it was dark out with the only light emanating from the lamps beside the doors.

After the vehicle had disappeared down the road, I quickly climbed up the staircase and fumbled around under the doormat for the key. Tears quickly began to form in my eyes clouding my vision, but when I blinked to banish them away, a few escaped. As soon as I managed to unlock the door, I opened it and stepped inside. After locking it and setting the key on the counter, I kicked my shoes of and then rand straight to my room.

I flung myself onto my bed, wailing into my pillow. I still couldn't believe what had occurred in just a mere hour! My heart was broken, but I realized that I may have broken Kyoya's heart as well, and it takes a lot to break a stone heart like his. Kimiko was jealous enough to turn what would've been the greatest night of my life into the worst. My nightmare had come true, and, with all honesty, all I wanted was to pack up everything and leave for home. I couldn't wait until Saturday. I had to go . . . now.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The plane landed that evening in the airport; and after collecting my luggage, I walked out of the building and then traveled down the sidewalk. I hadn't called my brother, especially since he had probably just gotten home from work. One thing I knew was that my brother worked hard, and he deserved at least an hour or so of rest after he got home; so, if he just arrived, I didn't want to bother him asking. I was glad that I got on the plane just in time or else I would've been waiting in the terminal for over an hour to wait until the storm passed. Apparently, the storm had just begun.

Strange. The weather perfectly matched my mood. Gloominess was all I felt as well as guilt. Why? I left Kyoya standing at my door and waiting on me for who knows how long. He sure did look good in that outfit he was wearing; but compared to how I looked with the shreds of chiffon hanging from their former place on my gown, I was definitely a wreck. That night was supposed to be the greatest night of my life, and I would tell the story in vivid detail to Joseph and Mackenzie; however, after being lured into a trap by Kimiko, that best night transformed into the worst.

I didn't despise her for it. She was just blinded by envy and rage. I should have stopped to consider the fact that it probably wasn't Kyoya's handwriting at all on the paper. My hopes had just gotten too high. Well, Kimiko probably received the night of her life, replacing me as Kyoya's date; but I was fine with that. It was just how much I felt like I betrayed Kyoya that made me feel like my heart had been stabbed with a knife and then carved out of my chest. Well, that was almost two days ago, so I had to let that slide. All I wanted to do now was get home to my brother.

The airport was only half an hour away from where I lived . . . by car anyway. So, on foot it was about an hour. Halfway home, thunder drummed in the sky above me as the first few droplets of rain wet my skin. _Perfect . . _. I thought sarcastically. As soon as the falling rain increased to a downpour, I continued to walk, not really caring if I became soaked or not. After about ten minutes, I reached the mall, and I took shelter underneath the awning that jutted out from the side of the building. Even though pop-up thunderstorms only lasted half an hour, I couldn't wait another minute to get home.

Pulling out my cell phone, I dialed the home phone number and waited until my brother finally picked up.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Joe," I answered, trying my hardest to sound glad.

_"Hey, K.C.,"_ he answered. _"Are you excited about coming home this Saturday?"_

"Yeah . . . about that, you see . . ." I trailed off, trying not to begin crying. "I came home early."

_"Why? What happened?"_

"I really don't want to talk about it right now, Joe . . ."

_"All right, I guess your landing by now?"_

"Actually, my plane landed half an hour ago. I tried to make it home on foot . . ."

_"In the rain? Oh, you poor thing. You must be soaked!"_

"Joe." My voice began to quiver as tears began to form in my eyes. "Please . . . just come pick me up."

_"Where are you right now?"_

"At the mall."

_"All right, I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."_

"Okay."

After we hung up and I shoved my phone into my pocket, I hid my face in my hands as the tears I held back during that entire conversation just began pouring out. My heart was broken, and I felt like I betrayed Kyoya by not showing up for him. I couldn't though, not by the way I looked at the time. In other words, I really had no other choice. Well, I had all summer until I was back in Japan for the second term.

Fifteen minutes felt like fifteen hours as I waited on my brother to arrive. I had stopped crying ten minutes earlier, but I still was terribly hurt. Eventually, a silver sedan pulled into the parking lot and up to the curb in front of the mall's entrance. The pouring rain had turned into a light drizzle, and the thunder had faded away off in the distance. As soon as the car came to a stop, the front door opened as a young man with brunette hair stepped out holding an umbrella.

"K.C.!" he called out.

As glad as I was to see him, I couldn't form a smile. Leaving my luggage behind, I ran up to him and flung my arms around him, while my tears began anew. My brother wrapped his free hand around my back holding me close as I continued to sob into his shoulder.

"Shhhhh-Shh. It's all right, K.C.," he spoke soothingly. "I'm here." As soon as I calmed down, my brother began again: "You just hop into the car. I'll get your bags."

I pulled away from him and nodded my head. After my brother walked me to the passenger side of the car and I hopped in, he walked over to where I previously stood and retrieved my luggage. He opened the trunk and packed the bags inside while I buckled up my seatbelt. I didn't care about anything right now. All I wanted was to go home. After a while, my brother opened the front door and sat down in the driver's seat.

"You okay, K.C.?" he asked, starting the car up.

"Mmm . . . hmm," I answered, pausing with a hiccup.

"We'll talk about it when we get home, all right?"

"All right."

* * *

**Ooooh. Lots of Drama. I didn't even intend for it to be this dramatic.**

**Yeah, I know . . . the chapter was L-O-N-G. I had a lot to write about.**

**Author's Notes:**

**1). I'm really not sure about the cost for formal gowns in Japan, so I used the average price for gowns here in the USA and turned it into Japan currency. So, yeah, in America, Katherine's dress would be roughly $110.**

**2). While writing this story, I've come to notice something . . . since it is a KyoyaxOC fic, I realized that Kyoya and Katherine's name both start with "K". I promise I did **_**not **_**do this on purpose. But, isn't it kinda . . . weird? o.o**

**Replies to Comments from Previous Chapter:**

**kayo-hime: Too bad I don't have connections with Hatori, or else I'd ask . . . no, I'd BEG her to put K.C. in her manga! Well, I'm sure she's got some character for Kyoya anyway. :). Yeah, Cedar Point is in Ohio, and so is King's Island. I went there when I was visiting a friend once, and it was pretty cool!**

**Aurora-16: Vacation: Good :) Limited internet access: Bad. Well, at least your having fun, right? I'm not to great with describing mushy kissing scene stuff, but I try my best :). I know, if people have seen the anime and love it, they should AT LEAST read the manga! Wow . . . big wall you have here . . . Let's see, maybe I'll- OOOOH are those Blueberry Muffins? I'll take a box of those! XD.**

**Julia: LiMOUSine? Is that how you spell it? Man, I am so dependent on spell-check . . . Now that you mention it, LIMAcine does sound funny XD. I'll be sure to fix those!**


	17. Friends Indeed

**Hey Ouran Fans!**

**I'm soooo so so so so sorry it's taken weeks to update . . . I've been busy getting back into the gist of school.**

**Anyways, keep the reviews coming! If you guys have any questions, feel free to ask. I'll answer them for you at the ending of each chapter.**

**For now . . . on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or it's characters . . . yadda yadda yadda.**

**Claimer: I DO own K.C., Joe, Kenzie, and everyone else you guys aren't familiar with! 8D**

* * *

**~ Chapter 17 ~**

**Friends Indeed**

"Kenzie, just because I went shopping _once_ doesn't necessarily mean that I'm all that into it."

"Oh, trust me K.C., I never liked shopping when I was your age . . . much, but I eventually got into it."

_Great . . . that means that my dislike for shopping is only a phase . . ._

Kenzie and I had just gotten back from a "shopping spree", and she was giving me a ride back home. It was Saturday. Almost a week had passed since my flight landed in America, but I sure was glad to be home . . . and speaking English too. After what happened last Tuesday, I had to get out of Japan and back to my brother. Spending time with my brother, and/or Mackenzie really took my mind off of all the stress I went through during school, especially during the Host Club. In fact, I didn't eat any sweets for three days! Well, I had a month off from school for summer vacation, and I was going to make the best of it.

"I forgot to ask," Mackenzie began slyly. "How was that 'date'?"

I blushed at the thought, and I continued to gaze out the window. Even though I blocked out most of the stuff that occurred to me back at Ouran, I couldn't stop thinking about Kyoya. The "blind date" at the theme park, him surprising me with a kiss, and even inviting me to the ball. I sighed and looked away as _that_ crossed my mind, and my heart chipped a little more as the image of Kyoya standing outside my door appeared in my mind.

"It . . . it was nice," I answered.

"What did you guys do?"

"Oh, you know, rode a couple of rides, had lunch. That kind of stuff."

"Did anything happen _after_ that?"

My cheeks tinted pink, realizing that she was asking whether or not Kyoya and I kissed, which we did. Well, he kissed me anyway, but I was too nervous to kiss back. It was a surprise attack, so I wasn't prepared.

"Maybe . . ." was all I could answer.

"You haven't told Joe yet, have you?"

"No, not yet. We're not officially, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Ah, I see. So, who was the lucky guy?"

"Kyoya Otori." Just saying his name felt like daggers in my heart.

"Kyoya . . . Kyoya . . . the dramatic one?"

"No, that's Tamaki. Kyoya's the brainy one."

"Oh, so you have a thing for smart boys then? Well, I've never really heard of two-smarty pants in love."

My face burned even hotter. I wasn't _that_ smart. Well, maybe a little; but I was sure that Kyoya was a tad more brainy.

Apparently, Mackenzie noticed me blushing, but she only laughed. "I'm just playing with you, K.C. You are very intelligent though."

"Thanks."

"So, is he a real nerd, or is he handsome?"

"For someone who's a genius, he is really good-looking."

"That's good."

"Yeah . . ."

Thankfully, Mackenzie stopped badgering me with questions about Kyoya, which was a huge weight off my shoulder. Every time I thought about him, or the date was mentioned made me feel like I was being beat with a leather whip. Yeah, I was hurting that badly. I know that it wasn't really a "break-up" since we were never really "together", but it sure did feel like that. After what occurred a week ago, I didn't want to think about Kyoya, or anything that had to do with Japan. I just wanted to focus on spending my summer vacation with my brother and closest friend.

"Something bothering you, K.C.?" Mackenzie inquired.

Apparently, Kenzie noticed the saddened expression on my face as my mind randomly jumped to thoughts about the night of the formal. "It's nothing important."

"Let me guess. That Kyoya boy broke your heart?"

"No . . . the opposite."

Mackenzie slightly glanced over at me surprised, since she still had to keep her eyes on the road ahead, and then she raised an eyebrow. "_You_ broke _his_ heart?"

"At least . . . I think I did," I spoke, gazing out the window. "It's a long story."

"I see."

There was a long pause, but neither of us said a word after that. I know Mackenzie didn't intend to hurt me more than I already was, but talking about Kyoya after it took a week to get over what occurred the night of the ball felt like torture. I didn't even make eye contact with her the entire conversation. Now that the "blind date" and everything about Kyoya was out in the open, I had to once again banish everything from my mind.

After a few minutes of silence, Mackenzie pulled the car to a stop, parking beside the driveway. "Are you going to be okay, K.C.?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," I answered sadly. "I just got to let it go."

"Well, it you have any boy trouble, you just come talk to me, all right. I'm here for you."

I turned to her for the first time during the car ride and smiled. "Thanks, Kenzie."

After that, I unbuckled my seat belt, and then climbed out of the car making sure not to forget my shopping bag. All I bought was a few pairs of cargo pants, which is what I wore during the summertime; autumn through winter were jean season. After thanking Mackenzie for dropping me off, I walked up to the front door while she drove down the road. Walking up the front steps, I fished around under the doormat for the key. Joseph was home, since Saturdays were his days off, but if he was busy with something I didn't want to make him feel rushed.

Twisting the key in the hole, I turned the doorknob and then pushed the door open. "Joe?" I called out to him as I stepped inside. "I'm home. Are you-"

At that moment, I had looked up and gasped in shock, dropping my shopping bag on the floor. I had to blink and rub my eyes a few times making sure that I wasn't hallucinating anything; however, as soon as I glanced back up, it turned out that there was nothing wrong with my eyesight and what I saw was real. Or, should I say, _who_ I saw. There, standing in the living room were the Hitachiin Twins dressed in casual attire.

"Hikaru? Kaoru? What're you two doing here?" I asked, in Japanese of course.

The two brothers looked at each other and exchanged those grins. Yep, it was them all right. "We wanted to drop by for a visit," they answered . . . in English.

"Why?" I inquired, in English as well.

"We just wanted to see you again, after you dropped out on the dance," they replied.

"How did you guys know that I was going?"

"Kyoya told us," Hikaru answered.

"But we didn't see you," Kaoru ended.

"We didn't see you the rest of the week either," they spoke together. "It was like you had disappeared."

I hung my head in shame. I didn't mean to hurt Kyoya that night, and I certainly didn't meant to hurt the other hosts as well. The night of the ball just wasn't my night, and I would've been able to attend if I hadn't fallen for Kimiko's sneaky trick. After that, I had no other choice but to head back to my apartment. I barely had money left to pay for a new dress anyway, and with all the dirt that covered it, there was no doubt that the stains wouldn't be able to be removed.

"I'm sorry, you guys," I spoke, glancing back up at them. "It's just . . . some things came up, that kept me from going. I should've told you guys about it though."

"What kind of _things_ would make you leave school for three days?" they inquired, concerned.

"Just some . . . issues, that's all," I answered.

"Well," Hikaru began as he and his brother walked around to my side: Hikaru on my left and Kaoru on my right. "That happened a week ago, so let's just let it slide."

"However, Kyoya might have something in mind for you," Kaoru added slyly.

"After all, you did miss three days of work," they ended together.

I swallowed hard. "Great."

"Anyway," the twins began, changing their tone to a cheerful one, "Why don't you come join us for lunch? Everyone's outside."

Well, even though last week may have been rough, at least I had kind and understanding friends at Ouran Academy. Suddenly, realization hit me. Did the twins say . . . _Everyone _was outside? Did that mean what I thought it meant? Not only did the twins come to America, but the entire Host Club? It was surprising that all of them didn't have any plans right after school was let out for the summer.

Before I could ask them if I had hear them correctly, the two stepped in front of me, holding out their hands. "Would you like to join us, K.C.?"

My gazed switched a few times from their hands and then up to them. After a while I smiled. "All right, but you guys are just hanging out with me, so no host-charms or any of that stuff."

"Aww, that's no fun," they whined, pouting.

I only giggled at the two of them before placing my hand in there's. We formed one of those hand-holding-chains with Hikaru leading, me in the middle, and Kaoru bringing up the rear. My heart began to pound as Hikaru stopped to open the door. All the hosts were waiting outside, even Kyoya. That _did_ include Kyoya, right? My smile began to fade as I thought over a scene where Tamaki planned to gather the hosts together to visit America, but Kyoya declined. Banishing the thought from my mind, I let go of that happened last week and followed Hikaru as the three of us stepped outside.

"Hey, everyone!" he called out to the other six boys (the other hosts plus my brother) on the porch, and Haruhi, "Look who's come to join us!"

I smiled weakly as the twins let me go. My eyes scanned each of the hosts, and all of them, even Mori, had a smile on their face. Well, all of them except Kyoya, who only looked down as he sipped his lemonade. Was he still upset about what happed Tuesday? More importantly, was he livid with me for not showing up at the Host Club the rest of the week? Heck, it could've been both reasons.

Before I could say anything, I noticed Hunny jump up from his chair and charge at me. His copper brown eyes were wide and sparkled with joy, and his arms were outstretched ready to hug me. "K.C.-chan!"

"Hey, Hunny-senpai," I spoke, hugging him back. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my head, and I glanced up to find Mori standing over me with a small smile on his face. I returned his grin. "Hello to you too, Mori-senpai."

After setting Hunny down on the ground, I walked over to join the rest of the group. It was a nice change to see Haruhi in a T-shirt with a blue mini-dress over it, and green cargo pants. Even though her hair was still short, she looked more feminine.

"It's good to see you again, K.C.," she spoke.

"You too, Haruhi," I answered, taking a seat beside her. "It's good to see everyone." Then I turned to my brother. "I hope these boys haven't been any trouble for you, Joe."

My brother only laughed. "No, they were quite the entertainment."

"Well, that's the Host Club for you," I spoke.

"Oh, so _these_ are the boys you've told me so much about then?"

I nodded.

"So, tell me, what exactly does this 'Host Club' do?"

"Well . . ."

However Tamaki butted in. "The Ouran Host Club is where the school's handsomest boys with too much time on their hands entertain ladies who also have way too much time on their hands. Just think of it as Ouran Academy's playground for the super rich and beautiful."

I smiled sheepishly as I noticed Joseph's "No-one-takes-away-my-little-sister-without-my-say-so" look on his face. Fathers were typically the ones who wouldn't allow any boy to steal their daughter's heart; next to father of course, there was the older brother. He even told me on my thirteenth birthday that he would have to buy a shotgun to keep the boys away.

"Don't worry, Joe," I reassured him. "I don't attend their activities . . . much."

"So, what kind of things do you boys do at this 'Host Club' other than entertain ladies?" Joe inquired.

"Well, other than entertain our guests, we serve tea and some desserts," the twins answered.

"Yeah! K.C.-chan makes the best treats in the world!" Honey squealed.

My brother raised an eyebrow in confusion. Whoops. Forgot to tell him about that. I kept the whole, Host Club's personal chef thing to myself since I didn't want my brother to worry about it and feel like he had to help me pay it off. I rubbed the back of my head with my hand nervously while I glanced away; once I looked back however, I noticed that all eyes were on me, especially Joe's.

"Katherine," he spoke sternly.

I sighed. "Well, now that the cat's out of the bag, I might as well admit the truth." Resting my arms on the table, I leaned forward and drew circles on the table top. "You see, about three months ago, I kinda broke something, and the only way to pay off my debt is to work for the club."

"How much?"

"300,000 yen," I answered. "$3,000 here."

"Why didn't you tell me K.C.?"

"I didn't want you to feel like you had to help me out, Joe. I didn't want you spending any of your money, and I know how much you want to save up to buy an engagement ring for Kenzie and have that 'wedding fit for a princess'. Besides, I'm going to be out of the house in a few years, so I'll have to start managing my own money sooner or later." I released a deep breath, and then I turned my head over to face my brother and smiled. "So, don't feel like you have to send me a few bucks over. I've got everything under control."

My brother smiled back. "You sure have grown up since you left for Japan."

Then, he reached his arm over to wrap around my shoulder; but suddenly, I found myself out of my chair and being swung around in circles. I didn't have to glance up to see who had grabbed me. It was already obvious. _Here we go again . . ._ I thought to myself. Tamaki just _had _to ruin the moment.

"Ah! It's so cute to see two siblings get along so well!" the club president squealed. Then he set me down on my feet, but still holding onto me tightly. "Daddy's so proud of you, K.C.!"

"Uh . . . _Daddy_?" Joe repeated.

"Long story," I answered flatly.

Eventually, Tamaki released me, and I took a few deep breaths, making sure that my lungs hadn't been squished together completely.

"So, you hang out with these boys after school every afternoon?" Joe inquired.

"Well . . ." I began.

However, I was interrupted, yet again. This time by the twins. Both stood on either side of me with their arms draped around my shoulder. "She sure does. We hang out and chat during club hours." Then, they pressing their head on either side of mine with those mischievous grins spread across their faces. "K.C.'s lots of fun to play with."

My face began to burn a bright red. "All right, you guys, knock it off."

The twins only chuckled, and then Hikaru rested his arm on top of my head. "C'mon, K.C., you know we were just playing."

"Partially," Kaoru ended.

"Anyway," I spoke. "I don't get to chat with you guys much anymore since I'm in the kitchen for the entire club hours."

"You chat before and after hosting hours," Hikaru spoke.

"Even if it is only ten minutes or so," Kaoru added.

"And, plus," they spoke together, "You're able to go to club events like dances and parties."

After they said the "D" word, I hung my head as thoughts about what occurred popped in my mind. They just had to bring _that_ up. Well, they didn't know what happened exactly during that time, so they wouldn't know. Slightly lifting my head up, I glanced over at my brother, and then my gaze traveled over to Kyoya, who only sat in his seat with his side facing me. His leg rested on his knee, and he made no eye contact with me, or anyone for that matter, the entire conversation.

"Of course," Tamaki added, "those are only optional. So you can always choose whether or not to go to a dance -"

At that point, Kyoya stood up from his place, and adjusted his glasses. "I'm sorry," he spoke, turning to us for the first time. "The humidity levels are too much for me to handle out here. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm heading inside."

With that, he strode around the table and towards the door, not even turning to look at anyone as he passed by. After he entered the house, all of us fell silent. Was he _that_ upset about my not showing up for the ball? As I thought more about it, another thought came to me. Kyoya was the type who like to make profit off of things and people. So, in other words, he was probably upset that I didn't show up when he came to pick me up. Since he was from a filthy rich family, punctuality was everything; and plus, I didn't even show up for work the last three days of school. So, if that was the case, he would be more ticked off with me; but, the way he looked the night of the dance, and even now . . . was he hurt?

"That odd," Haruhi spoke up. "Kyoya-senpai isn't the type to not walk off in the middle of things."

"True," Tamaki added. "We've been best friends since Middle School. But, ever since we all got together on the plane, Kyoya hasn't spoken a word."

"He didn't even take his laptop on the jet with him," the twins added.

"You don't think Kyo-chan is sick, do you?" Hunny inquired.

_Sick of me, probably, _I thought to myself. I turned to my brother, unsure of what to do. Should I go in after him, kind of like in the movies? Or, should I just wait until I got back to Japan for the second trimester? I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. My mind was thinking logically about the consequences of talking to him now, so I was deciding to wait until I was back at Ouran. However, my heart kept screaming to go inside after him.

After a moment or two, Joseph jerked his head slightly, gesturing for me to go inside. My brother and I were close, and we could always tell what the other was thinking sometimes or how the other felt. Now I understood how Hikaru and Kaoru felt when they used their "twin-telepathy" trick. Without hesitation, I excused myself from the group and walked up to the back door. I wanted to turn back, afraid to face the Shadow King; but, I had to apologize and take my punishment, regardless of what it was.

Opening the door, I found Kyoya leaning against the wall staring at the ground. Swallowing hard, I stepped inside the air-conditioned room and closed the door behind me. "You know," I spoke. "I thought Mori-senpai was the quiet one. Maybe you two have something in common."

I chuckled weakly hoping to get at least a pity laugh from the Shadow King; however, he just stood there staring at the wooden flooring. I rubbed the back of my head and looked away, thinking of what to say. Even coming up with the lamest joke wasn't enough to get Kyoya to look at me.

I sighed. "Look, senpai, I know you're mad at me, but just hear me out." I paused, trying to piece my words together. "What happened last Tuesday . . . The thing is . . . There was . . ."

Geez, I couldn't even speak to him! _Stop stammering, K.C.!_ I mentally chided myself. _Just explain yourself, say 'sorry', and then be done with it._

I released a deep breath before starting up again. "I apologize, Otori-san. I _was_ ready that night, but then everything was ruined after I received this forged note, which I thought was from you. That's no excuse though. I was late for the dance and didn't show up when you came to pick me up."

Tears began to form in my eyes at the thought. _Suck it up, K.C. and just finish it,_ I told myself.

Hanging my head, hiding my face, I continued, "It was my entire fault. I should've showed up, or at least returned your messages, and I wouldn't blame you don't forgive me. I was a terrible excuse for a date. Besides, a rich, charming young gentlemen like yourself doesn't deserve to be with a low-life commoner, who doesn't even show up for her date -"

At that moment, a pair of arms grasped around my torso and I was pulled into an embrace, with my head resting against a shoulder. It was Kyoya, I could tell, since he and I were the only ones in the room; but, wasn't he upset with me?

"We must be exact opposites," he spoke. "I don't talk much, but you aren't able to shut your mouth."

I understood that he meant that as a joke, but I was still confused about why he wasn't upset with me anymore. For ditching him and the club the last week of school, I didn't deserve to be forgiven. Still, it was nice to be with Kyoya again.

"K-Kyoya . . ." My voice trailed off as the tears I tried to hold back formed in my eyes.

_Don't cry, K.C., just suck it up,_ I kept telling myself. Of course, I didn't listen. I threw my arms around his torso and buried my face in his shoulder as a few tears streaked down my face. Kyoya didn't seem to mind that his sleeve was becoming slightly damp; of course, I didn't want to soil another one of his expensive things that would add more to my debt. Maybe that was why he wasn't saying anything. He wanted me to keep working for the club. Well, I wasn't going to let _that_ happen. I only had one year there.

After a minute, I finally forced myself to stop sobbing. "I'm sorry, senpai. And . . . and I don't blame you if you don't forgive me."

"Too late, because I already did," he answered.

"But why?" I inquired, releasing him and taking a step back. "I obviously don't deserve it. I mean, I didn't show up at the apartment, and I neglected my duty as the Host Club's chef."

Then, I noticed that grin splash across his face as he adjusted his glasses. At least he was back to his old self again. "That may be true, but I've forgiven you already, and I can't undo it. And as for not showing up a the club," he added, walking around me and towards the door. He stopped however to turn back to me with that grin still on his face. "I'll figure out your punishment over the break. In the meantime, just enjoy yourself."

Now, I was confused. It was like he was saying that old line: "Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow _you_ die." Knowing Kyoya, my punishment could be anything, especially raising my debt. Well, at least he was back to his old self. Returning his grin, I followed him as we walked back outside.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The hosts stayed until evening, chatting and exploring around town; but once they all had to fly back to Japan, we said our good-byes. It sure was a surprise that they came all the way across the Pacific Ocean just to visit me. Well, it was great to see them again.

After I had eaten dinner and taken a shower, I sat on my bed holding my camera in my hands as I flipped through the pictures. Photos of the school inside and the campus outside, the beach trip to Okinawa, and even that blind date with Kyoya. I smiled as I flipped through those pictures. Even though I was a target for Kimiko and her gang, at least I built up friendships with the hosts.

Suddenly, a knock at my door interrupted my thoughts. I sat up straight and glanced up to find my brother leaning against the door post. "Hey, bro."

"Hey, K.C." he spoke, walking into my room. "Have fun today?"

I nodded. "It was a huge surprise to come home and find the host club. Are you sure you and Kenzie didn't plan the whole thing?"

"No, they just showed up a few minutes before you came home," my brother replied, sitting on the edge of the bed beside me. "Anyway, I guess everything worked out between you and that boy."

"Kyoya? Yeah, I explained everything to him, so now we're cool."

"That's good. Are you excited about going back."

"Of course." Then I sighed. "I just wish I could stay until my senior year."

My brother smirked and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry, you'll see them again whether e-mail or snail-mail. You make the most interesting friends. That blonde boy is something else."

"Yeah, Tamaki is the over dramatic one."

There was silence for a moment before my brother spoke up again. "You sure are growing up, Katherine."

"I know, but it'll be a long time before I graduate," I answered.

"Still, you've made great friends like the Host Club."

"The club is like my home away from home. Everyone there is different in their personalities, but they're all like a family. The twins said that I was part of their family too."

"Those two are probably the most interesting."

"Trust me, they are." Then I pressed the button on my camera trying to find a picture of them as an example; however, as I scrolled through the last twenty photos, I found that they were all close up pictures of the twins posing or making faces at the camera. "And they're gunna pay for wasting my memory card!"

Of course, my brother only chuckled. "Well, you'll have to get them back when you head back to school."

I nodded as I turned off my camera and slid underneath the covers of the bed. Once I was settled in, Joseph turned my lamplight off and kissed me good night before exiting me room. As tired as I was, I couldn't keep my mind off of the surprise visit that day. Even in my dreams, I was at the Host Club, except I set a few booby-traps for the twins, and when they tried to fish around in my satchel for my camera, they fell into a pit leading to Renge's underground lair. Yes, I made some interesting friends in Japan, and I wouldn't trade them with anything else in the world.

* * *

**Yays!**

**Of course, that's not the ending to the story. I mean, they just got finished with the first part of school. **

**Replies to Reviews From Last Chapter:**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'me: There is no way that I'm going to discontinue this story! It's been on my mind for months!**

**Julia: Yeah, they need to have a spell-check on here that's like the one for MS Word. You know, where it actually UNDERLINES your mistakes. That would make everything so much easier.**

**Aurora-16: Thanks. Chapter 16 was probably the longest and most dramatic chapter I have written so far. The Blueberry Muffins were delicious! Oooh Cherry tarts!**

**100PercentAnime: Don't worry. It was just the climax of the story! And those girls are definitely going to get it! Thanks!**

**xXanimeluver15Xx: o . o uh. . . . don't injure her to badly. Anyways, ! I'm trying to keep up with my weekly schedule, so I'll try to post a chapter every weekend!**


	18. Back to the Basics

**Hey, guys!**

**Well, I've been able to keep on track of my schedule! And I didn't have writers block this time! Yays!**

**. . .**

**I don't have any more announcements except that school is pretty hard, but everyone of you thinks that, right?**

**Okay, let's get on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. The characters, manga, and series rightfully belong to the wonderfully talented Bisco Hatori/ Hatori Bisco (whatever way you wanna put it . . .).**

**Claimer: I own Katherine/K.C. and all other characters who aren't mentioned in the anime and manga. (I'm just too lazy to list 'em all . . .)**

* * *

**~ Chapter 18 ~**

**Back to the Basics**

"K.C.," a calm voice spoke.

I felt my body being shaken back and forth, but I only groaned in reply.

"K.C., wake up," the voice spoke again. "You're going to miss your flight to Japan."

As much as I wanted to, I couldn't force myself to. The summer sure did fly by quickly, mainly because it only lasted for a month compared to summer vacation back in America. I have missed my classmates and the Host Club, even after they visited me, and I couldn't wait to step into the Third Music Room once again; in fact, I couldn't wait to get to work on those cakes.

Of course, I was the type of person who can't get any sleep when my eagerness level is at its maximum. In fact, I don't think that anyone can get ant rest if they're super eager about something. I mean, I would be returning to see my friends in Japan. Well, I had a few friends back here in America, but part of me was in Japan still. I sure would miss everyone once the school year was through, but hopefully we would be able to e-mail each other back and forth. Tomorrow would be the beginning of the second trimester, and I sure couldn't wait to be back at Ouran.

That is to say . . . if I could force myself out of bed.

**~ . . Flashback (10 hours earlier) . . ~**

I sat in my room organizing all of my scrapbook pages into a white binder. On the front cover was a photo-shopped page with the title: **"My High School Experiences"** in fancy cursive print. The first few pages were of a general profile of myself, and the next ten pages were of my year as a Freshmen. There weren't many since that was the time I was taking online classes, but there were a couple of trips to museums and such whenever I was studying a certain time period or subject. The next ten, and counting, pages were of my sophomore year, which, of course, was my year at Ouran Academy. I copied and photo-shop edited my sketches so that I could use them as a background in my scrapbook.

Laying the pictures on the cardstock, I cute them out with fancy scissors, making the colored paper behind the picture look like a zigzag frame. As soon as I finished that page, there was a knock at my bedroom door.

"Come in," I spoke.

Then, the door was opened and my brother stepped into the room. "Hey, K.C."

"Hey, bro," I replied with a smile. "What's up?"

"Two things," he answered. "One, the ceiling, and you."

I stared at him puzzled, but once the second part finally registered in my mind I sighed. "Joe, it's only eight."

"Yes, but you need to get up early. You don't want to miss your flight to Japan, do you?"

"No," I replied in defeat. "But I'm not that tired."

"Katherine."

"Just let me finish this up, Joe. I promise I'll be in bed by nine."

There was a moment of silence between us, and I could tell that my brother was contemplating on the idea. Of course, I could tell that he was about to say "no", so I drew an "X" over my heart using my finger and gave my brother a smile.

Joseph sighed. "All right." Then, he turned to exit my room but looked back over his shoulder at me with a stern look. "Nine o'clock, and then it's lights out. Understand?"

"Crystal clear," I answered.

After that, my brother left the room leaving my door open ajar. I waited, listening to the sound of his footsteps as they traveled down the hallway to his own room; and once I hear his door shut, I glanced over at the clock on my nightstand. A little over half-passed eight, but I was sure that I could finish everything up until then. Of course, I didn't want to rush myself or else my scrap book would literally look like a bunch of scraps.

Without hesitation I picked the next sketch background and a few pages of cardstock organizing the photos together before pasting them on the paper. Needless to say, I was excited to be traveling back to school and seeing Haruhi and the hosts again. Even now I could still hear the chorus of their voices chiming "Welcome" as I stepping into the clubroom. I was still plotting something to get back at the twins for using my camera without asking, but I figured that I'd wait to put that idea together.

I had trouble pasting the photo perfectly in the center of the cardstock frame because every once in a while my eyes would slightly close, but my neck would jerk my head back up. _Stay awake, K.C., _I thought, mentally slapping my face. _You're almost finished with this page, so once you're done, you can go to sleep_. I didn't even bother to check what the time was. As I rubbed the glue stick on the back of the frame, my eyes sagged as if they were hooked onto weights. That was all I remembered from that point.

**~ . . End of Flashback . . ~**

"Katherine," the stern voice kept speaking to me.

However, my mind began to drift back off to sleep, and the voice above me faded away. suddenly I was struck with a cushion-like substance, and I immediately shot up startled. Of course, once I did that, I ended up sliding off of the mattress and rolling backwards onto the floor. Moaning in pain, I rubbed my eyes with my hand before opening them up. My vision was a blur; but after I rubbed my eyes a bit more, I saw my brother lying on his stomach, while his arms were crossed on top of my pillow.

"You awake yet?" he inquired with a smirk.

"Yeah," I grumbled, sitting up. "I'm awake." I rubbed the back of my head with my hand before starting again. "Did my alarm not go off?"

Joe nodded. "For five minutes, and the volume was loud enough for me to hear it all the way from the kitchen."

"That's a surprise."

"If you went to bed on time, it would be."

I looked down sheepishly, but then I felt my brother place his hand on my head, messing up my hair. Lifting my head up to look at him, I saw that he had that warm smile on his face as he gazed down at me. Taking his hand off my head, he peeled a scrap of cardstock, which had embarrassingly enough gotten stuck on me, off my forehead.

"Come on, kiddo," he spoke softly, "let's get some breakfast."

I smiled back and nodded in agreement, and then I stood up and followed my brother out of the room.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I sat in the front passenger seat of the car with my brother beside me, driving. We both had been up since 6am and my flight to Japan left at eight, so we had about an hour to get to the airport, get through security and everything before I left for Japan. Ten hours on the plane would be just enough time to catch up on some rest, and watch the in-flight movie. Of course, I wasn't that tired, especially since the weariness was struck from me when my brother hit me with a pillow. Well, he had to get me up somehow or another. I didn't want to miss another day of school, since I already ruined my perfect attendance record.

"Are you excited?" Joe inquired, pulling into the interstate.

"Is it _that_ obvious?" I answered.

My brother chuckled. "What part are you most excited about?"

"I don't know, really," I replied. "I mean, if I had to decide, probably seeing my friends again."

Joe nodded his head understandingly. "You sure make interesting friends."

I smiled, remembering the day that the Host Club traveled all the way to America just to visit me. They didn't have too, but it was kind of them anyway. I was just glad that Kyoya and I made up and the entire night of the ball had been cleared out. If they didn't come, I wouldn't know how to explain it to Kyoya without tearing up in front of him like I did. It just wasn't me to act so vulnerable. Yeah, I would cry around my brother, and he would comfort me; however, at the time, I wasn't sure if Kyoya was the same way. Well, at least everything was settled, so all I had to anticipate was my "punishment". I shuddered at the thought but let it go until tomorrow afternoon.

"K.C.," Joseph spoke breaking the silence.

"Hmm?"

There was silence, but then my brother released a deep breath. "Just be careful when you get back, all right?"

I understood that he was talking about getting in the mix of Kimiko's trap the night of the ball, but I learned from that. So the next time Kyoya would say that he would pick me up for something, I would be sure to listen to what _he_ told me and not allow my heart to get ahead of me like how it did _that night_.

"Joe, I'll be fine," I reassured him. "I know what to do now."

My brother gave a sideways glance, still making sure he kept part of his sight on the road. I only smiled, and Joe returned it. "I don't know what I'd do without you, K.C."

"Come on, you survived the first four months at home without me, I'm sure you'll do fine for the remainder of the year."

Both my brother and I laughed, and then we stayed silent for the remaining ten minutes of the car ride. Yes, I was sure that Joe would have everything under control while I was gone. It gave him more time to enjoy himself, _and_ spend more time with Mackenzie. As much as I would miss my home here in America, I knew that I would have fun with my other older brothers in my other home.

As soon as Joe parked the sedan in the empty space in the parking deck, we both climbed out of the car. After hoisting my luggage out of the trunk, my brother locked the car and we made our way towards the airport building. Once I got my plane ticket, I said farewell to my brother before heading over to get through security, as well as separate my carryon luggage with my suitcase. After everything was said and done, I walked down the long hallways towards the terminal gate. Twenty minutes until my plane would take off too Japan, twenty minutes until my plane would be back in my home away from home, twenty minutes until my plane took me back to my family.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Ten hours, as long as it was, it flew by quickly, and I soon found myself in the baggage claim wearily watching the conveyor belt slowly wind around. There were suitcases of every size, shape, and color; and some I nearly mistook for mine. I yawned. My legs were sore from standing for nearly an hour just staring at the conveyor belt, making me want to fall asleep right there. Eventually, after what felt like forever, my bag emerged from the black curtain and around to where I stood. I double-checked just to make sure. Yep, blue duct-tape around the handle, and then I retrieve it and made my way out of the building.

As I made my way out of the building, I walked over to a nearby cab and asked the driver to take me to my destination. I was renting an apartment again, the same complex I was in for the first term of the school year. Back home again and here to finish up the term this time. I wasn't going to let anyone, especially Kimiko and her followers, to get in my way and make a fool of myself. I still had a duty to the Host Club I had to complete, and if I paid off my debt before school ended, that was all right by me.

Once the cab pulled into the parking lot, I paid the exact amount. It was a good thing that I got a part time job over summer vacation or else I wouldn't have the chance to pay off the rent for the apartment. Retrieving the keys, I made my way to the door. I couldn't believe that it was nearly eight o'clock, and I was actually more tired than I was starving. So, I unpacked everything from my suitcase and set them in the appropriate places before heading into the bathroom to prepare myself for the night.

I needed the rest, since I had been up for over twelve hours; plus, I didn't get nearly any sleep the night before. Of course, I made a promise to my brother to call him, and I wasn't going to break this one.

Taking my cell phone from my satchel pocket, I dialed the home phone number. Joe was most likely home from work by now, so he would probably pick up.

_"Hey! You've reached the Johnson's!" _two voices spoke at once.

I smiled knowing that the answering machine picked up the call, and the greeting was the same as it had been for three years.

_"We're not here to take you're call right now," _my brother's recording spoke.

_"But if you could leave us a message that would be super awesome!"_ the twelve-year-old me added.

_"And we'll be sure to call you back as soon as we can,"_ Joe ended.

After that, there was a pause before a beep.

"Hey, bro, it's me," I spoke. "I know it's about . . . six or so back home, but I just wanted to let you know that I'm in Japan, so the plane didn't crash." I chuckled slightly at the cheesy joke. "Anyway, just wanted to let you know I'm okay and I _will_ get some sleep tonight. I love you, Joe, and I'll see you around Christmas."

After that I hung up and set my phone on the side table. My brother was probably out with Mackenzie, so he wouldn't get the message until he got back home. I didn't mind one bit. I had some growing up to do, especially learning how to face the mean girls on my own. Books and movies may have told me about them, but life wasn't like happy-ending stories where the protagonist prevails over the cliques. Anything can happen. You can choose to continue to be picked on constantly until you've had enough that you want to commit suicide, or you could stand up to them. It was your choice.

I allowed the three of them to get to me, especially when I thought I was going to get on their good side. I attended the Stellar Club because they invited me and it was the polite thing to do; but I had to undergo that peer pressure Momoka, Ochira, and Kimiko gave me, forcing me to go up on stage and sing. I wasn't even sure, at the time, if I had the talent, but I guess I did; however, because of that, Kimiko developed that "eliminate all competition" vibe, and I think she may have had enough of it after she heard that Kyoya asked me to be his date to the dance.

Well, all of that was in the past. It was a new term, so, it's time to start with a clean slate.

**~ . . * . . ~**

My alarm clock buzzed that morning interrupting my peaceful slumber. As tired as I was, I wouldn't allow myself to fall back asleep. Quickly reaching my hand over to turn off the alarm, I hopped out of bed and raced over to the closet to pull out the yellow dress. I smiled; glad for once that I would be wearing _this_ dress. The dress wasn't just a school uniform, it was _the _school uniform for Ouran Academy. A school that showed that you attended the most high class establishment. Even though it was filled with rich kids, not all of them were snobs.

After a quick breakfast, I brushed my teeth, fixed my hair, and then I slipped into my uniform ready to start the day at school. This time, I was ready for the homework Sensei would pile on me, I was ready for Kimiko if she ever began taunting me again, but most of all, I was ready for the Host Club. I had to finish what was started. I packed my bag, making sure that I had everything I would need for school, and then I slung the strap over my shoulder. I couldn't forget my lucky charm bracelet of course, so I latched that on before I left the apartment.

Walking down the stairs, I strode through the parking lot and turned to travel down the sidewalk. I held my head up high and smile, ready for anything that would come my way. Once I caught a sight of light blue up a head of me, my smile grew wider as I picked up speed.

"Haruhi!" I called out.

The figure stopped and turned as I approached. "Good to see you again, K.C.," she spoke, as I stopped in front of her to catch my breath. "I'm glad you decided to come back."

"Hey," I spoke, standing straight up. "I couldn't leave the Host Club, not with all the work I have to put in every afternoon. Plus, Kyoya would send his army after me if I didn't."

"He threatened you with the old Otori private police force, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's good to have you back, K.C. Now, let's get to school. We don't want to be late."

With that, she turned leading the way, and I followed, we chatted about how our summer vacation went. Haruhi traveled to Kurizawa to work part time at a Pension a friend of her father owned. She told me the story about how last year the Host Club dropped in on her, thinking that she had been kidnapped. The Hosts held a competition against each other to see who would be able to stay in the vacant room. The contest drew close with Tamaki and the twins tied for first, but the Hitachiins ended up winning. Man, I sure would've loved to be there a year ago and see that! Tamaki probably goofed up a lot.

As soon as we both walked through the gates of the school and into the building, we parted ways and traveled to our separate districts. It sure was good to walk through the halls of the schools again. The tapping of my shoes against the tiled floor echoed down the hallway. The tall, pastel colored doors, accented the pink pastel colored wall; and as hard to read as they were, I was glad to see those signs that were placed ten feet above the ground.

I smiled and sighed contentedly as I approached my classroom, and then I turned the handle and pushed the door open. There were students chatting in groups with their friends, obviously talking about their summer vacation.

"Katherine-san!" a voice cried out.

I turned to find Tao weaving through desks and students and up to me.

"Tao-san, it's good to see you," I spoke.

"Good to see you as well," she answered with a smile. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks."

"That's good. I thought you had gotten sick the last three days of school."

"No, just some . . . issues I had to take care of, but everything's fine now."

"That's good to hear."

I couldn't admit the truth to Tao; and if I wanted to, I would've told her before I left. Now that the entire situation occurred a month ago, it would seem silly to dwell on the past. I had already let it go. Kyoya had forgiven me for not showing up, so I had to forgive Kimiko for being a total witch. Like I said before: it was the beginning of a new term for the school year, time to start off with a clean slate.

Once the instructor stepped into the room, he calmed the chatty students, who then proceeded to their desks and took a seat. After roll calls, Sensei began his lecture.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Lunch came around the corner and I sat with Tao at the long white table. I admit that I missed the banquet-hall-like lunchroom with its long tables with their milk white covers draped over them.

"So," I began, after a few moments of silence. "How as your summer, Tao?"

"Great," she answered. "My family took a trip to Okinawa, not where Otori-senpai's resort is of course."

"That's nice."

"Hey, Katherine," a voice spoke up.

Tao and I both looked up from our lunch simultaneously to find Satoshi and Yasuchika standing next to us.

"Hey, Satoshi-san, Yasuchika-san," I spoke. "Good to see you two."

"Right back at you, Katherine," Satoshi spoke. "We were kind of worried about you."

"Thank you for your concern, you guys," I spoke. "I'm fine, though."

"That's good to hear," Yasuchika answered. "Well, anyway, we best be going. It was nice talking to you again."

"Nice talking to you guys too."

After they disappeared in the sea of students and tables, I turned back to Tao who only stared off to where the two fifteen-year-olds had traveled. "Even though they're fighters, Yasuchika and Satoshi are real gentlemen."

"Huh?" Tao asked, as if I had interrupted a dream. After my comment had registered in her mind, she answered with a slight blush on her cheeks. "Yeah, they're really nice boys."

After that, Tao began eating her lunch again, while I only stared at her. She sure was acting strange, especially when she blushed. Was it something Yasuchika or Satoshi did that made her blush like that? I didn't notice a thing at all.

Realization soon hit, and a small smirk crawled onto my lips. "Is there something you want to tell me, Tao?"

She jerked her head up startled, as if I had interrupted yet another dream, but she glanced away. "No, not that I know of."

"Come on, Tao, you can tell me," I spoke. She was silent, but then I added, "You know you can trust me. I'm not like Kimiko."

With that in mind, the girl sighed and turned back to me. "You see, Katherine-san, I . . . kind of like Satoshi."

"Is that all?" I inquired. "That's not a big deal, Tao. High school crushes are common."

"It's a big deal for me," she answered. "The thing is . . ." she paused trying to piece her words together. "My parents have already arranged a marriage for me; and I've met the boy they want me to marry, but I don't truly love him. As much as I want to be with Satoshi-san, I know that I can't."

"Well, have you talked to your parents about this boy?"

"No, not really."

"Maybe you should talk to them about it and tell them that you have your heart set on another bachelor. They might reconsider."

Tao smiled. "Thanks, Katherine."

"Anytime."

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as lunch ended, the students tossed their leftovers away and headed straight for class. Afternoon classes, to me, were the easiest because you had all the energy to stay awake through the lecture. Morning classes were the most tiring, especially if you didn't receive much rest the night before.

Once classes were over, I packed my books and everything into my satchel and walked out of the classroom, traveling down the hall. Down the halls, on the top floor in the South Wing of the High School building rested the Host Club with its seven hosts readying themselves for business. Of course, facing Kyoya would be tricky enough since I've had to live with his calm velvety voice reminding me that I had to wait all summer before I received my punishment for missing three days of work.

I stood in front of the Third Music Room door, worried about what my punishment would be. I had to face the music though, so I took a deep breath and released it before placing my hand on the handle of the door, turning it slowly until it clicked, and then pushing it open. As I peered inside, I was met with the routine of a bright light and the swirling flower petals.

"Welcome," the seven hosts chorused.

As the light faded revealing the handsome boys, they each gawked at me, except for Mori and Kyoya who apparently predicted my arrival.

"K.C.-chan!" the hosts squealed with delight, save for Mori, Kyoya, and Haruhi.

Suddenly, the twins, Tamaki, and especially Hunny glompled me, and we all fell to the floor in a pile of giggles and chuckles while I was sandwiched in the center.

Yes, it was great to be back home.

* * *

**Yays! K.C. is back with the club.**

**Okay, so another pairing is going on. ooooh! What do you guys think? Too much to handle with two OC pairings? Tell me whatcha think!**

**Replies to Reviews from last chapter:**

**Aurora-16: Yep, K.C. and Kyoya are back together, but will Kimiko try to break them up again? I'm not telling! :). Yeah, I'm still trying to figure out how K.C. is going to get back at the twins for messing with her camera1 :). Since her "punishment" wasn't in this chapter, you'll just had to wait 'til next week! Sorry . . . it's late and a school night . . . Plus I had too much for this chapter. OMG yays! I luffles Jell-O! Ooooh and a cute little, mini-Tamaki! *presses button* Tamaki doll: "Call me King". Haha! I love love LOVE him. Thanks!**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: Thanks! Yeah, I just HAD to put his speech in there XD.**

**Julia: Thanks for continuing to tune in!**


	19. 7 Things

**Hey, guys, Supergirl501 back again for another installment chapter of Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In.**

**I just want to say, thanks so much, for all the reviews and sticking with me up til now. You guys are awesome!**

**Anyways, on with the story!**

**Heads Up: This ones actually got a song in it, so yeah . . . . Just to letcha know! :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club anime or mange, or anything else Ouran-related... Oh, and I don't own Miley Cyrus's "7 Things" either.**

**Claimer: I own K.C. and all my other OC's! :D**

* * *

**~ Chapter 19 ~**

**7 Things**

I sat on the floor sandwiched in the middle of the four over-excited hosts that glomped me; however, I didn't mind a single bit. It was great to be back in Japan with them, and spending time with them even if I _was_ in the back room most of the time.

"We missed you so much, K.C.-chan!" Hunny squealed.

"We thought that you wouldn't be coming back," the twins added.

"Come on, you guys, I have a debt to pay off," I spoke, "and I won't be leaving until it's gone."

"Which means that you'll be working twice as much now," Kyoya spoke, striding up to us.

I shuddered as I stared up at him. Right, forgot about the punishment. Well, I deserved it, but I only missed three days of work, it couldn't be that bad, right? Of course, knowing Kyoya, it could be anything. I wriggled in place and the four boys released me, allowing me to stand on my feet, and they did the same.

"I assume working double-time is my punishment, correct?" I inquired.

Kyoya nodded, but his eyes never left the page as he scribbled notes down. "Of course, it's not just preparing desserts." I swallowed hard as he stopped his writing and closed his notebook with one hand. He plastered on that evil-mastermind smile and adjusted his glasses. "Along with the treats, you will prepare the coffee and tea, bring the props to and from the store room, _and _assist with decorating the Host Club for our weekly cosplay." Then, the glare from the light faded from his specs as he flashed a serene smile. "Of course, that's not too much trouble for you, is it, Katherine-san?"

I twitched as I stared at him. Preparing deserts and drinks, bringing the props to the clubroom, _and _help decorate it? I was sure that I felt gravity increasing on me, like a rock on a sheet of paper. Too much pressure? Yes. Knowing Kyoya, though, he wouldn't take "No" for an answer. He was a business man that way, and he wouldn't stop interrogating someone until he got what he wanted. This was my punishment though, and I had to face the music. (**A/N no pun intended)**

"N-no, senpai," I spoke, slightly twitching somewhat. "No . . . no trouble at all."

"Excellent," he spoke, with that smile still on his face. "You best get started. Hosting hours begin in half an hour."

With that, he turned and walked over to a section of the room, while I stared off into space, probably still twitching, but I wasn't sure. Working twice as much for the club was going to be a pain, and just the sound of everything I would be doing overwhelmed me. At the end of classes, I would have to travel all the way to the store room to pick up the props the hosts needed for their cosplay and then carry them over to the club. Of course, how would I know what their theme would be? Well, I was sure that Haruhi would clue me in on our way to school.

"K.C.-chan?" I heard Hunny's voice speak from beside me.

There was a sharp jab in my arm, and then two hands waved in front of my face.

"You okay, K.C.?" the twins asked as their faces hovered in front of mine.

I shook my head, snapping out of my reverie. "Y-yeah, I'm fine," I answered. Then I sighed and walked towards the kitchen, muttering the last part to myself, "Just a little overwhelmed."

As soon as I entered the kitchen, I grabbed my apron from off the hook and tied it around my waist. Once I was all set, I got started on my work.

Did I miss Japan? Yes. What did I miss about it? The scenery, the school, the friend's I've made so far. What was I not looking forward to once I got back? One, Kimiko; and two, my "punishment" from Kyoya. Well, I deserved it for missing three days of work, and I don't think that taking "personal days off" would count towards paying off my debt. The look Kyoya gave me when he told me that I had to work twice as much made me want to do something terrible to him. It was like he was saying: "The good news is, we're not making you a host like Haruhi. The bad news is, you'll have to work double-time." Ugh! It was like he was mocking me.

Geez, I couldn't stand Kyoya! But, I was beginning to fall for him all at the same time. It was like I had been split in two. One side was just all over Kyoya, while the other side just wanted to rip him to shreds. He was intelligent and hardworking; and even though women love a man with "The Looks", I think that it's best to marry a man who can pay the bills and everything. Kyoya was all of that bundled up into one. His perfect, acne-free skin, his mysterious gray eyes hidden behind those two thin walls of glass, his silky jet-black hair, and his tall lean figure was just to die for.

Of course, he only became involved with something if it benefitted him, so if he and I were to ever "get together", he would have to gain something from it. He was a chess player, and everyone else was his pawns he used to win the game. He would be using me if he and I ever became an official couple. I sighed wishing that could happen, but then I banished the thought from my mind and began work.

Punishment or not, Kyoya wanted to make me work more so that the club wouldn't have to pay a cent for pastries or coffee or expensive props. Still, I couldn't help but wonder if Kyoya was doing all of this just so that I could be closer with the club, closer with him perhaps. My cheeks reddened at the thought. Did Kyoya want me to fall for him? Well, he had kissed me twice, _and_ invited me to the dance as his date. Were all of those hints saying that he was fond of me and wanted me to fall for him as well? If so, then I guessed that Kyoya really had a heart after all. I sighed dreamily as I picked up the icing bag to decorate the cake.

Suddenly, the kitchen door opened. "Katherine-san?"

I turned to find Kyoya standing in the door with that smile still on his face. I smiled back. "Yes, Kyoya-senpai?" I answered dreamily.

His grin turned into a smirk as he adjusted his glasses. "I forgot to mention this, but because you weren't at the club for three days, we had to order some pre-made cakes; so, the bill is being added to your debt." Then he flashed that 'no worries, right?' smile and added, "Don't worry. It's only another 100,000 yen."

Then he turned and strode out of the room. I stared at the door as my lower eyelid twitched in annoyance. _Don't worry? How the heck could I not worry about 100,000 yen added to my debt?_ I thought to myself. I just wanted to stop him right there at the door and erase that smug grin right off his face. Gritting my teeth together, I twisted the bag with my hands making the icing explode all over the cake.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I spent the entire club hour trying to focus on decorating the pastries and organizing everything together on the cart. Haruhi would drop in when she needed another batch of tea or coffee, and take the cart out when it was full. Of course, that Otori boy would stop by every so often as well just to "check up on me", and of course, I plastered on a huge fake smile trying to hold back my urge to clobber him. I wasn't great with the whole "fake smile" that he does, but he didn't say anything about it; however, I was sure he noticed that it was a forced smile.

What was up with him? It was like he had a split personality. When he dropped me off at my apartments when we got back from the amusement park, he seemed like he was fond of me; heck, he even kissed me. Was he just doing that to make me fall for him? Was it some kind of plot he had to lead me into his controlling hands and use me for his own business purposes. I wasn't sure. When he told me about my punishment, and then came in later to tell me that he had added more yen to my debt, it was like he enjoyed seeing me twitch. Aside from being a chess-player, Kyoya was like a cat, they play with their victim for a while before going for the kill. Just the thought of that made me shudder.

Well, if he was trying to make me fall for him just so that he could use me, I wasn't going to fall for it. I knew better, so I decided to ignore him when he used his flattery on me. The Kyoya I knew was a work-a-holic, business man, only becoming involved with something if he received merit from it.

The only problem was, I couldn't get him out of my mind the entire afternoon! No matter how much I tried to erase his face from my mind, there he was again! Even while kneading the cookie dough, I would grip it harder than usual pretending that it was him, reshaping his face so that he couldn't use that stupid smile anymore. Of course, that fair skin and angelic face made him an ultimate perfection. His dull, but striking, gray eyes were positioned perfectly on his face; not to far apart, and not too close. His nose wasn't too pointy, and even when he flashed that smile it still made him look handsome. I closed my eyes, relaxing my muscles; and then I smiled and sighed, picturing Kyoya's face in my head.

Suddenly, I snapped my eyes back open what was I thinking? I hated his guts! Or . . . did I? I wasn't sure if I had feelings for him either. I sighed. There was too much going on in my mind, and certainly couldn't start thinking about Kyoya while finishing up my homework. Releasing him from my mind, I finished the last couple of pastries up. It was my punishment whether Kyoya told me or someone else.

As soon as hosting hours were over, I packed away all the leftover pastries and then hung my apron up on the hook. Striding out of the kitchen, I passed by Hunny, who was munching down on some cake, and Mori, who was observing him and making sure he didn't eat too much. The twins were chatting with Haruhi about something, which made Tamaki cut in and start yelling at them. While the trio quarreled, Haruhi slinked away from them and over to a secluded area of the room to study. Kyoya, like always, sat a table typing away on his laptop; the only problem was, the table was close to the exit. With Tamaki and the twins arguing, creating a huge commotion, I could easily slip out of the room and down the hall.

Slowly walking passed the first five hosts, I waved good-bye, signaling that I was leaving, but I think that only Haruhi, Hunny, and Mori noticed. Ignored by the bickering trio, I slowly walked towards the door, making sure that my footsteps weren't louder than the commotion on the other side of the room. So far so good. Now all I had to do was open the door and leave. Carefully setting my hand on the handle, I turned it, ready to pull it open.

"Going somewhere, Katherine-san?" Kyoya spoke, not even glancing over his shoulder at me.

I sweat-dropped. How in the world did he notice me? He didn't even have to look over his shoulder to see me walking across the room; and I was sure that I wasn't too loud for him to hear my footsteps. Did he have a pair of eyes planted in the back of his head? I shuddered at the thought, but then I regained my composure and turned to face him.

"Home. Where else?" I answered flatly.

"You wish to leave without a heads up for this week?" the cool-type questioned.

I sighed. Well, at least he wasn't telling me at the last minute like he typically would. Of course, after what happened when he declared my punishment, I didn't want to anything to do with him at all. I already got him out of my mind, and I didn't want him invading there again. I had homework to get started on, and I certainly didn't want him using up my thinking-space when I was trying to figure out a trigonometry problem.

"What's on the agenda?" I inquired, truthfully uninterested.

"A few things," he replied. "Tomorrow, we're setting up the courtyard to receive our customers, because the weather will begin to decrease as the winter rolls in; so, we'll need your assistance carrying the tables out as well as decorating proper arrangements. Wednesday, one of our customers is celebrating their birthday, so we need to organize the clubroom with the flower arrangements ordered. And, finally, Thursday, we are having a samurai cosplay, so we'll need to decorate the club with a seventh century Japan setting." Even though his back was turned to me, I could tell that he had that grin on his face. "No pressure, right?"

I twitched for the third time that afternoon. _Ya think?_ was what I wanted to say to him so badly. Of course, if I did, I would probably stuck here, receiving some kind of lecture about "tending to our guests desires" or, "making every woman happy". I sighed, and then I plastered on a fake smile.

"Nope, no pressure at all," I answered.

"Good. You're dismissed."

I sighed inwardly with relief before turning and exiting the club room. Thank God the day was over with! And thank goodness I was able to hold back the urge to clobber Kyoya into a pulp. Well, tomorrow would be the same as it had always been, just twice as much work.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Eight o'clock. A time at night where I would typically be finished with my schoolwork and prepared for bed. Not tonight. I sat at my desk staring at the numbers on the page of my mathematics text book. The funny thing was, I had been staring at that page for at least twenty minutes fidgeting and tapping my pencil against the desk. Math was one of my easier subjects, but I couldn't stay focused. Releasing a sigh, I set my pencil down and buried my face in my hands.

I wasn't tired. Every time I tried to focus on my work, that Otori boy would always pop in my head, along with that little smile of his. Kyoya. Kyoya. KYOYA! He had been on my mind ever since I entered the clubroom! I groaned as I glanced back at the text on the page. Why couldn't I make up my mind already? We weren't "together", and neither of us had admitted any feelings to each other. At least, I wasn't sure if I had feelings for Kyoya or not. I thought of him as a very handsome young man; but when he told me what my punishment was, and then dropping in on me a few minutes later saying that he _also_ raised my debt, made me want to just bite his head off. That would get rid of that stupid little grin of his for sure.

The only thing was: Did I like him or not? Did _he _like _me_, or was he just using me to gain more profit for the club?

I sighed, and then I pulled out a scrap piece of paper from my notebook and wrote a heading at the top: **"Things I hate about Kyoya"**. If I could just remove my thoughts about him from my mind and onto the paper, then I could get back to my homework and then prepare myself for bed. Of course I listed the most annoying things about him I hated like stuff about his personality or idiosyncrasies. I couldn't spend too much time on thinking about the stuff he did or said that made me tick, so I listed my top ten. Looking over the paper one more time, I tilted my head in puzzlement.

This reminded me about a song I heard on the radio while Kenzie drove me to the mall the day the hosts visited. It reminded me so much of Kyoya that I turned it off before the singer could start the second verse. The next day, I looked up that song and listened to it over and over. It turned out it was a Miley Cyrus song called "7 Things". The song was about how she suffered a break-up, but since Kyoya and I were never together, there was no possible way for us to split up. Even though the night of the dance sure did feel like it.

Just thinking about the song made me start humming the tune, and eventually I found myself singing it, with my own lyrics.

_I know I've already said this,  
But you're hard to figure out.  
When you just act so malicious  
It makes me wanna shout._

_You are always on your laptop  
Alienating everyone 'round you.  
And every time, I say "Hey".  
There's so much more I wanna say.  
So listen clear, my dear._

_There's 7 things I hate about you!_

_You're sly, you're dry, that little grin,  
No matter what, you always win,  
Discussing the debt, it just irks me.  
But that's the way it's supposed to be._

_You pretend to care  
And I know the truth, but I can't help but stare  
I wanna be with a you I don't know.  
And the 7th thing I hate the most that you do.  
You make me love you._

_You're always so mysterious,  
So it's hard to determine  
What's the truth or what is not  
When you're telling me somethin'_

_If you mean it, I'll believe it,  
But with your mask, I can't tell.  
So, let's be clear.  
Oh, I'm not falling for you yet.  
You're taking 7 steps here._

_There's 7 things I hate about you!_

_You're sly, you're dry, that little grin,  
No matter what, you always win,  
Discussing the debt, it just irks me.  
But, that's the way it's supposed to be._

_You pretend to care  
And I know the truth, but I can't help but stare.  
I wanna be with a you I don't know.  
And the 7th thing I hate the most that you do.  
You make me love you._

I hummed and "do, dee, do'd" the bridge, but as my mind began to think of lyrics for the next verse and chorus, I just had to close my eyes and smile. The final part of the song was about all the stuff the singer liked about this boy, and I could come up with a bunch of stuff I was fond of about Kyoya, but I was limited to seven.

_And compared to all the great things  
That would take too long to write  
I really should mention the 7 things I like._

_There's 7 things I like about you!_

_Your face, your smile, your eyes  
When we kiss, I'm in the skies.  
You make me smile, you make me blush  
And charm me 'til I turn to mush._

_Your hand in mine  
When we embrace, my heart can't help but race.  
I wanna be with the true you I know.  
And the 7th thing I like the most that you do._

I held that note for a while, and then I opened my eyes. Reaching over towards the corner of my desk, I took the little keychain, which was the one I bought at the amusement park. That day I'll remember for the rest of my life. It wasn't just the first time I got to hang out with Kyoya, since I never could when he was hosting, and he seemed to show his true self that day whether he put on that mask or not. I sighed dreamily as I gazed at the picture of Kyoya, enjoying himself for what seemed like the first time in his life. Being part business man, he had to loosen up somehow. Placing the little trinket on my nightstand, I turned over back on my stomach and began studying again.

_You make me love you._

* * *

**Yays! Another Chapter complete. Wow . . . it's hard to believe that this was number 19 . . . I know this one was a little shorter than the last one, but it was origionally supposed to be combined because of the time lapse between this chapter and the previous one. But, since it was lengthy, I just split the two up. So, yeah.**

**BTW. I went back and edited a couple of things (including typos and gramatical errors) in my first few chapters, just to make everything easier to comprehend.**

**Ugh! it took me FOREVER to think up words to those lyrics!**

**So, yeah, K.C. hasn't sung anything in my story since the Chapter 11 with the Stellar Club; and that was when she sang something in Japanese. So, it was time for some American culture to hit Japan!**

**I know, it was a little shorter than my other chapters. . . but I just had to post this one up!**

**Anyways, reviews are greatly appreciated.**

**Replies to comments from last chapter:**

**Aurora-16: HaHa! Yeah, that episode was pretty funny. I liked the when he opened the curtain and after Haruhi stepped out in the dress, he screamed and pulled at his hair. His expression was priceless! There's this video on YouTube that's a parody of the entire first episode, and it's super-funny. (Link: Part 1 - /watch?;v=gNE3OJjzMck Part 2 - /watch?v=7JPxtCe-NdU&feature=related) Or, you could just go to Youtube and search TheClassyPeanuts Ouran (they've got a second episode out, but in my opinion the parody of Episode 1 is the best). I don't know If you've seen it before, but it's hilarious! Don't worry. Some payback this way comes for Kimiko ;) *hint hint*. Yeah, SatoshixOC Fluff! I love pairing characters! EEeeeekk! Kawaii! Hikaru-kun and Kaoru-kun! I luvs 'em! Thank you! Well, anyway, it's late and I need to get off the computer, but thanks for tuning in and reviewing! You're awesome! Oh, I need to make a couple of notes on what to get you the next time so . . . Where's my pencil? *frantically looks around the room* Hikaru, Kaoru, did you have anything to do with this? *Sighs* Well, I'll work on it tomorrow.**

**Lock 'n' Key You 'n' Me: Thanks! I'll keep writing until it's done!**

**Sinario: Yeah, I've been meaning to edit that, but with schoolwork getting in the way, I haven't had much time . . . but I'll be sure to fix those errors tomorrow or sometime this weekend!**


	20. Bound for Trouble Part 1

**Hey everyone! I'm back!**

**So sorry it took a while to update this chapter, this week has been a nightmare with school and appointments . . .**

**But now that that's said and done, let's get on with the show!**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm trying not to make this story COMPLETELY dramatic, I'm just saving the drama for moments that need it. I'm trying to stick with the humor of the story! Oh, and BTW, I just realized (yeah . . . just now after 20 chapters) that "Honey" is actually spelled "Hunny" like in the manga. So, since this has manga/anime references, I might as well edit all of the parts where it says "Honey" and change it to "Hunny".**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or anything Ouran-ish . . .**

**Claimer: I own all my OC's, especially K.C. (Haha! That rhymes!)**

**

* * *

**

**~ Chapter 20 ~**

**Bound for Trouble**

**Part 1**

"Hey, K.C.! Where are those Éclairs?"

"Katherine-san, we need about ten slices per cake."

"Cake? I want CAKE!"

" . . . "

"K.C.! Where's the commoner's coffee?"

"WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP? I CAN ONLY DO ONE THING AT A TIME!"

I stood there in the doorway of the kitchen, panting from my outburst. There were fifteen minutes left to prepare the clubroom until the guests arrived, and I was running all around, making sure that there was enough instant coffee for the ladies, and all the pastries were organized on the golden carts. Everyone just seemed so rushed today, probably because it was a Monday, so that could be a reason why they were pushing me around . . . well, save for Mori and Haruhi.

Inhaling a deep breath, I released it; but before I could speak calmly to the group of hosts this time, there was a sudden flash of light from beside me. I cringed and covered my eyes from the brightness, and then I turned and glared at the two trouble-makers.

"That one's a keeper!" the twins proclaimed.

"HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TWO?" I shouted, rushing up to them and reaching out to seize my camera. "DON'T MESS AROUND WITH MY STUFF!"

Of course, when I tried to grab it, Hikaru held it high in the air, making me jump for it, while he and his brother laughed. I wasn't _that_ short; just about half in inch taller than Haruhi. Right when I was about to grab his arm and hurl him over my shoulder, Hikaru tossed the camera to his twin, who then made a run for it. I sighed at their immaturity, but I went after them anyway.

"Smile, Katherine," Kaoru sang, turning to take a picture as I charged at him.

I'm sure my smile looked like an irritated frown with my teeth clenched; but as soon as the camera flashed, Kaoru took off running again, tossing my camera to Hikaru along the way. I slid to a stop before turning around and hurrying after them. These two sure did get on my nerves! I mean, they both set Kyoya and me up together on purpose with that whole blind date thing. Well, they were pranksters and they loved to tease people . . . even if it did bug the crap out of their victims.

Eventually, I was able to catch up to the masters of mayhem and tackle them to the ground: Hikaru on the bottom, then Kaoru, and then me at the top of the pile. Finally, I was able to seize my camera; or so I thought, when the twins passed it back and forth to each other.

This was starting to become frustrating. I had already wasted my time running after the two of them; but I couldn't allow them to scurry and then trip, sending my camera flying until it hit the wall smashing into pieces. There were still photos that I hadn't printed out yet! Someday, somehow, I would get these two back for messing around in my personal stuff.

"Ahem."

The three of us froze from the chilling monotone voice, and we slowly lifted our heads to come face to face with the Shadow King. Apparently, he wasn't pleased with us horsing around either. The light reflected off his glasses; and even though he was facing forward, with his head just _slightly_ tilted downwards towards us, it was painstakingly obvious that he was glaring daggers down at us.

"Do you three intend to create a scene for our guests?" he spoke coldly.

I twitched from his chilling voice. Even though the twins were at fault, I had to share the blame since I got involved with their little "game". Hanging my head sheepishly, I thought over how I was going to explain myself. Well, there wasn't any explaining to do actually. Lifting my head up to face him, I opened my mouth to apologize; when suddenly, I felt the twins quickly rising to their feet from underneath me, sending me sliding down their backs and onto the cold floor.

"We were just stocking up some energy for club hours just in case," Hikaru spoke in defense.

"Who doesn't love a little pre-hosting fun?" Kaoru added.

Kyoya glared at them sternly, while I rose to my feet, brushing off my dress. There were a few moments of silence before Kyoya pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, ridding his lenses of the reflection from the chandeliers.

"Just be sure to be prepared when our clients arrive," he spoke. The Shadow King turned and walked passed them, but stopped once he passed by me, like always, not making eye contact. "And _you_ need to be in the kitchen, Katherine-san."

After that, he continued walking until he met up with the remaining four hosts while I stood there staring at him. Kyoya sure was acting more cold than usual, but everyone isn't a huge fan of Mondays, and I guessed that he had just woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

"Still have the hots for him?" the twins asked, resting their arms on my shoulders.

I blushed at their question. "Who said I _did_?"

"Come on, K.C., we saw the photos of you and Kyoya at the amusement park," Hikaru answered.

"And you seemed to be having the time of your life," added Kaoru.

"Not to mention, Kyoya's smile didn't even look fake at all!" they ended together.

I sighed and closed my eyes, thinking back on that weekend. Riding the coasters, having lunch, talking about things in general, and afterwards . . . my first kiss. Of course, I wouldn't call it an actual "kiss" since Kyoya only did it to me. If I had kissed him back, then it would've been official.

"Who cares?" I answered. "Even if I did, I doubt that a refined gentleman like him would ever fall for a . . . commoner. Besides, I'm not even sure if I like him or not."

After I said that, everything was quiet . . . a little too quiet. Of course, in the twins' brains, there must've been a huge ruckus going on. Whenever silence like this fell, the two brothers were scheming something mischievous.

"You two are _not_ setting us up like last time," I spoke sternly.

"We never said we _were_," they spoke together.

I rolled my eyes irritated. "Well, anyway, I need to get to work."

With that, I turned around, but not before snatching my camera out of Hikaru's hands; and then I walked towards the back of the clubroom and into the kitchen. I was going to have to set up something to get back at Hikaru and Kaoru for taking my camera without asking, even if it meant setting up the entire Music Room with booby-traps like in the movie "Home Alone". I had the brains to construct something, but I doubt that I had the time. Plus, I didn't think that the twins were as dense as the robbers in the movie.

After shoving my camera into my satchel, I stood up straight and glanced around at the sugar-covered countertop in the center of the kitchen. The entire place was a mess. First off, the last class ran five minutes over; so after that, I had to rush all the way from class in the North Wing to the South Wing and prepare the tea and coffee. While that was brewing, I iced and decorated the cakes, slicing them into eight pieces, like how I had been told to do back during the first term. Of course, that was when all hell broke out and millions of commands and questions came hurling through the door.

I sighed leaning my arms on the counter, and then I took a pot and examined my reflection. My hair was frizzy and out of place, there were dark circles around my eyes from staying up late, and my entire face was smudged with flour with blotches if icing on my cheeks. Setting the pot back down on the counter, I hid my face in my hands, wishin that club hours could be over with soon.

"Rough day?" a female voice inquired.

I lifted my head up slightly to find Haruhi standing in the doorway with a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah," I breathed, standing up straight. "But, that's how Mondays are."

"I thought being a host was overwhelming," the female club member spoke, walking up to me. "Kyoya even threatened me with the old 'family police force', but I think he's put more pressure on you."

"I just missed three days," I spoke, innocently. "Did he _have_ to make me work twice as much?"

"Kyoya-senpai does that kind of stuff to gain profit off of people. I know having a seventh host in the club rakes in more girls and profits for him."

"But . . . but all I do is bake and prepare desserts -well, now I do more than that. Still, why does he have to be such a jerk and make me work for missing just three days?"

"I'm sure he has a good reason. He has a good reason for everything he does. Though . . ." Haruhi glanced down in thought. "I'm not sure what profit he would gain by making you bring all the props from the storeroom to here."

"Probably just wanting to have a personal slave do all his work so that he doesn't have to lift a finger."

Haruhi glanced up and smiled at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. She sure was a true friend, aside from Kenzie that is. Haruhi was more my age, and didn't care if she was dressed up as a girl or a guy. She was always there with her logical, attorney-like mind solving a problem in a situation.

"K.C.-chan?" a meek little voice spoke.

Haruhi and I glanced towards the door to find the little college student, clutching his little bunny towards his chest. He gazed up at my with his big, copper-brown eyes, which were full of concern.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, stepping into the kitchen.

I smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine, Hunny-senpai. Just a little stressed out. That's all."

"That's good," he spoke with a grin. "Takashi, Usa-chan, and I were worried that you got sick."

I giggled. "I'm fine, but thanks for your concern."

"Do you want a hug?"

Confused, I stared down at the little college student. Of course, it was common for Hunny to jump onto you and give you a hug, but it was a rare occasion for him to _ask _if you wanted a hug. As I gazed down at him for a few more moments, I noticed the pleading look in his eyes, dying to run up and throw his arms around me.

Kneeling down on one knee, I smiled at him with my arms outstretched. "Come here you little ray of sunshine."

A wide grin spread across his face as he rushed up to me, his pink bunny under one arm. Suddenly, he leapt into the air and -you guessed it- jumped onto me, knocking me down to the floor. I couldn't help but laugh along with him as his silky, blonde hair tickled my cheek when he nuzzled his head into my shoulder. Even if you were feeling like the weight of the world was on your shoulders, Honey could brighten up your day in an instant.

"Hunny-senpai. Haruhi."

The Lolita and I stopped out laughing fit as we glanced up at the doorway to find Kyoya with his notebook under his arm.

"Five minutes until hosting hours begin," he spoke calmly.

Both Haruhi and Hunny nodded affirming, and then the Lolita-boy climbed off of me, following Haruhi out of the kitchen. "See you later, K.C.-chan!" he squealed happily, waving good-bye.

I stood up as he and Haruhi exited into the music room through the door that Kyoya held open for them. He watched as they traveled to join Tamaki and the others around the "throne", and then he glanced back at me. I froze from his gaze. Becoming caught in his gaze could turn you to stone, kind of like how Medusa would to her victims . . . except there was a swap in gender roles.

Silence fell on the both of us, but then he adjusted his glasses. "Clean up the kitchen after hosting hours."

After that, he turned and walked out of the room while I scowled; nevertheless, as soon as heard the chorus of their angelic voices greeting their guests, I got straight to work.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The week was just as busy as the first week of the new term. Baking extra treats, and not to mention, helping set up the room for a cosplay, was too much to handle. Once Friday came around the corner, I could relax once the afternoon was over, and I would be sure to sleep in over the weekend. Of course, today the hosts had a cosplay and asked me to bring a box of props and costumes out from the storeroom. Thankfully sensei didn't go over his lecture like how he did that Monday, so I was able to make it out of class, and pick up the props from storage on the way to the club.

It was just one box, not that heavy either. Lifting the cardboard flap open to peek inside, I found that there were a few sets of black police officer uniforms, with a white chief's costume, most likely for Tamaki. I smiled as I closed the box and continued down the hall. A police officer cosplay. I wondered if the hosts would set up the music room like a station. Well, at least I wasn't carrying anything fragile. I sure didn't want to tick Kyoya off more than he already was.

Ever since the situation with the twins and me that Monday, Kyoya seemed more irritated and cold than he typically was. He probably hadn't gotten much sleep over that last few weeks of vacation, especially if he was organizing the events and gatherings for the second term. I've never seen Kyoya on one of his "bad moods" before, but after remembering what Tamaki told me about the Shadow King having low blood pressure, I shuddered not even wanted to wonder any further into the subject.

As soon as I approached Music Room 3, I moved one arm until it was supporting the entire bottom of the box, while I reached out my free hand to grab the handle and turn it. Pushing the door open with my back, I stepped into the room.

"Hey, guys, I'm here," I spoke cheerfully, setting the props down beside a pillar.

When I only the low murmur of the twins voices, along with Tamaki's, as a response, I stood up and glanced over at them puzzled. The brothers were already dressed in their police uniforms playing with a pair of handcuffs and describing something about them to their president. It was obvious that Tamaki knew what handcuffs _were_, but the twins seemed to be explaining something to him by latching each cuff to their wrists, one on Hikaru's and one on Kaoru's. They said some more stuff before twisting their wrists and fiddling around here and there before they could free themselves from their bondage. Fake? Possibly. I wouldn't trust the twins around real handcuffs.

"What are they talking about?" I mused.

"Apparently Hikaru and Kaoru researched about a famous magician breaking from bondage without assistance or a key," the familiar, cold voice of the Shadow King answered, striding up beside me. "It was their turn to choose the cosplay, so they chose the police officers in order to try out their new found trick. At a first glance, the sleight of hand can befuddle the eye; but after taking a few notes, their trick was all too simple to decipher."

"Fake cuffs?" I inquired.

Kyoya grinned, adjusting his glasses. "It seemed like the perfect way to fool Tamaki."

I sighed lacing my fingers behind my head as I gazed over at the twins, who told everyone to "Grab a partner". Tamaki eagerly pairing up with Haruhi and Honey with Mori. I observed the scene as the twins clamped a cuff on each of their wrists. Then, I glanced up at Kyoya. He was wearing his everyday school uniform, so his police outfit was probably in the box I just brought in.

"Well, it's easy to fool Tamaki," I spoke, while Kyoya began taking a few notes. "I mean, you could fool him with a levitation trick with the object held up by wires."

Suddenly, there was a swift breeze from behind me followed by a _CLICK!_ I turned around lowering my arms to see what just zoomed by me, the only problem was, I couldn't move my arm down without dragging Kyoya's down with me. My eyes trailed down to my right hand only to find that it was cuffed along with Kyoya's! I shrieked as I jumped back. Flailing my arm, I attempted to shake off the cuff, while Kyoya's arm just flopped limply along with me. No good. An exasperated sigh escaped my throat as I stared forward to find the twins with those sly smirks on their face.

"Care to explain _this_," Kyoya and I spoke simultaneously, while holding up our wrists.

"We couldn't leave you two out on all the fun," they answered.

"Thanks for being considerate," I spoke sarcastically. "But, I really don't have time for this."

"It won't take long," Hikaru promptly spoke.

"Just a few minutes is all we need," Kaoru added.

I sighed, dropping my arm, while Kyoya dropped his chin somewhat so that the light from the chandeliers could cast a reflection off his glasses.

"Just get this over with," he spoke coldly.

Ignoring the threatening glare, the twins led the way to the rest of the group, while Kyoya and I followed, irritation etched on our faces. It was Monday all over again for me, and I couldn't allow the twins to waste my time when I should be preparing the desserts. On the other hand, Kyoya had been moody all week, so why would the twins want to mess with him if it was obvious the Shadow King wasn't in the mood.

"All right," the twins announced. "Everyone have their partners?"

Hunny jumped up and down cheering, while Mori started off into space with that stoic look he always had. He didn't even mind that his arm as flapping around from the Lolita jumping around. Tamaki wrapped his arms around Haruhi with a wide smile across his face; however, Haruhi only sighed and pinched his hand, which made the club president shriek and release her.

While 'the king' rubbed his sore hand, the twins continued, Hikaru starting: "Okay, we've modified your cuffs to that it'll be easier for you guys to get out of them."

"So, all you have to do is squeeze the bottom edge of the cuff like this," Kaoru added.

The two of them fell silent as they fiddled around with their cuffs, gripping the bottom edges like they said, while everyone, including Kyoya and me, mimicking them. No matter how much I squeezed, though, there was no clicking noise; in fact, was there some kind of switch I was supposed to be feeling while I gripped them? I was sure Kyoya was thinking that same thing, since he was struggling to free himself and get back to whatever he was working on.

"And . . . Ta-Da!" the twins cheered, triumphantly holding the unlatched cuffs in the air.

Eventually, everyone else managed to make theirs click, and they soon freed themselves. Hunny pranced around, giggling, while Mori hooked the cuffs onto a loop in his police uniform pants. Tamaki played around with the cuffs with interest, locking and unlatching them, but Haruhi had already walked over to a table to begin studying. As for Kyoya and me, well, we were still having some trouble.

"Need some help?" the twins inquired, turning around to us.

"Yeah," I answered curtly. "Just get them off so I can get to work."

I held out my hand to the twins who glanced at each other and shrugged. "I don't know how you couldn't free yourselves," Hikaru spoke, taking my hand in his and examining the cuff.

"It's a simple trick," Kaoru added, examining Kyoya's handcuff. "Anyone could get out of it."

There was silence as I placed my free hand on my hip, tapping my foot impatiently. It was obvious to me that Kyoya was impatient at well; he just didn't show it. The twins fiddled around with the cuffs, but suddenly stopped and glanced over at each other, a small sweat-drop streaking down the side of their heads.

"Uh-oh . . ." they muttered.

"What?" I spoke threateningly.

The two brothers stood up with sheepish grins on their faces while rubbing the back of their heads with their hands. "It appears that we . . . gave you two the wrong cuffs . . ."

My eyes narrowed to slits as I glared at the two of them. They did _not_ just say that. These handcuffs were the real deal? If there was a tazer-gun lying around, I'd use it on the two of them right here and now. I knew I couldn't trust these two around cuffs, and now my nightmare has been realized.

Clenching my hand into a fist, I stormed over to the Hitachiins, while dragging Kyoya along with me, and the two brothers backed away slowly every step I took forward. "You two are so DEAD!" I hissed, as they cowered against the wall. "Out of all the stupid and immature things you've done, you just had to come up with _this_." I held up my cuffed hand.

"We're sorry!" they whined. "We didn't know!"

"Well, next time make sure to label your tricks before you use them!" I shouted.

Suddenly, realization struck me. They weren't cowering for real. This was all just an act! Once again, the twins planned to put Kyoya and I together somehow, and I gritted my teeth at the thought.

"You two did this on purpose," I hissed, pointing an accusing finger at them.

"Now, K.C., let's not jump to conclusions," the twins spoke, grinning sheepishly.

"Don't think I don't know about you're tricks, you little jokers!" I shouted. "You planned this, just like you two planned that blind date!"

"We planned for you to be partnered with Kyoya, yes," Hikaru spoke, innocently.

"But we didn't mean to use _real_ handcuffs. Honest!" Kaoru ended.

An exasperated sigh escaped my throat, and then I held out my bound wrist to the twins, glaring at them. "Fix this."

"Uh . . . about that . . ." they hesitated.

"Fix this now, and I promise I won't beat the snot outta you two!"

"That's the only problem," Kaoru replied.

"We don't know," Hikaru added.

The twins splashed on nervous grins, while I glared at the two of them. "Do you two have a key?"

"No, we left _that_ at home . . ." they answered.

I sighed. Could this day get any worse? I wanted to yell at the twins for being stupid enough not to bring along a key. Apparently, they thought that they had _mastered_ their little trick, so they figured that they didn't need it.

"If I may ask," Kyoya spoke for the first time in the conversation. "How do you two expect hosting hours to work?"

"Well, since K.C. has to prepare the desserts for the club, you two can both hang out in the kitchen," the twins explained. "It's a great way to bond with each other."

The light reflected off of the Shadow King's glasses, creating an ominous look as if he were the devil himself. Heck, even I was terrified, but not as much as the terrible-twosome were. The two brothers clung onto each other and shuddered as Kyoya stared them down.

"Well, we might as well get it over with," I spoke, trying to ease the situation.

I turned around and began walking towards the kitchen, tugging the still demonic, Shadow King along with me. Glancing over my shoulder, I cast a glare back at the twins mentally saying _"I'll deal with you two after this." _They seemed to get the message too, because they quickly scurried from where they sat and made a mad dash for the others.

Sighing, I pushed the door open with Kyoya in tow. Perfect. Just Perfect! Kyoya not only has his eyes on me, making sure that I get my work done; he's practically attached to me! Still, it is kind of nice to have him around since we never had the chance to chat much before, or after, hosting hours. Maybe the twins were right . . . maybe we could bond a little. Of course, after that, I mentally slapped my forehead with my hand. _What are you thinking, K.C.? He has no interest in you! Even if he did, he would have to gain something out of it._

I sighed, but then I grabbed the apron from off the hook and began to tie it around my waist, ignoring the fact that I was most likely dragging Kyoya's hand along with mine. "Guess I should get started."

Turning, to Kyoya, I found him resting his arm on his notebook, trying to hold it down with his elbow while he tried wrote notes. I knew that I would be moving around the room a lot, which would cause him to have to pause from his notes while I dragged him around the kitchen. Knowing how messy the room would soon become, I took the sleeve of his blazer and rolled it up as far as it would go, right up to his elbows.

"Don't you have work to do?" he grumbled, not taking his eyes off his notes.

From the tone of his voice, I could tell that he was still peeved with the twins, but, as much as I wanted to knock the snot out of them, I kept a calm composure. "I do," I replied, rolling up his shirt sleeve, and tucking it under his blazer's. "But, I'm going to be dragging you all around the room; plus, it gets pretty messy sometimes, and I don't want you to ruin your uniform."

Suddenly, his pencil stopped on the page, and then the Shadow King gazed over his shoulder at me questioningly.

I only smirked. "I don't want any more yen added to my debt if it _does_ get ruined."

That grin spread across his face, and then he set his pencil down and closed his notebook. "That's funny," he spoke, glancing over at me. "For a second there, it sounded like you were concerned about me."

I stopped, not making eye contact with him, mainly because I was trying my hardest to hold back the blush beginning to form on my face. I wasn't concerned _much_ about him like I was with the suit . . . or maybe I was. Maybe I truly was worried about something happening to him, like slipping and falling on some icing that was placed on the floor. Well, Tamaki attracted nearly everything that would make him trip, but I doubted that Kyoya would slip on something without even reacting and catching himself.

"I'm concerned about ruining your suit, yes," I white-lied, turning back to the counter. "I don't know what I would be concerned about dealing with you, except for the fact that you can barely write in your notebook using one hand."

"It was merely a thought," he spoke.

"You always have 'thoughts'," I remarked flatly, while filling the plastic bag with icing.

"It just seemed rather evident."

"Well, sorry if it came out that way."

"By the way you said 'I don't want _you_ to ruin _your _uniform', you used the pronoun 'you' as the subject indicating that-"

I slammed the bag of icing down on the counter, fuming with irritation. "Dang it, Ootori!" I shouted, whirling around to him. "I've already got the twins on my agenda to kick their butts. Do you want me to schedule you this week?"

Kyoya, not fazed by my outburst, kept that calm complexion on his face, before adjusting his glasses. "You'll have to schedule me for next week. _This_ week, I'm booked."

An exasperated sigh escaped my mouth as I turned back around, resting my elbow on the counter with my head in my hand. "I hate that smart-elec attitude of yours . . ." I muttered.

"Well, get used to it," he spoke, striding around the counter. "Because until the twins retrieve that key, we're stuck together."

"Look, I don't want to waste any more time arguing, or anything," I spoke, still irritated. "All I want to do is get work done without creating some brouhaha."

"Do you even know what that means?"

"Do _you_?"

"I asked you first."

I scowled. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do, or else I wouldn't have said it."

"I presume that you're not the type to use words you don't know the meaning of?"

"Shut up, or you'll be walking out of here with a pink blazer!"

I pointed the icing bag at him threateningly. I only meant it somewhat, but, boy, did I want to do it so bad!

Kyoya only smirked as he gazed down at me. "It would be a nice change for once. Besides, it would match the school perfectly."

I groaned but didn't say anything further. Glancing away from the Shadow King, I ignored him and began to decorate the cakes. I could tell that he was using that smart-mouth attitude to get on my nerves again. Apparently, he knew the exact buttons to push; of course, I was still ticked off at the twins, so I hadn't cooled down entirely just yet.

As soon as hosting hours began, Kyoya helped out with retrieving the cakes from the refrigerator or the brownies from the oven. He was kind of like a third arm, or at least one extendable one. We didn't talk much, except about how the second term was going for us, typical school stuff; but, neither of us mentioned a word about the twins or their little plot. Even though they said that they didn't mean to use real handcuffs on us, I was worried that they might make up something like they lost the key and it would take until Monday to find it. I shuddered at the thought of staying with Kyoya for the entire weekend, which made me wonder even further. Where would we be staying? Would Kyoya come over to the apartment, or would I go over to his mansion?

**~ . . * . . ~**

Eventually, hosting hours were through and the ladies began to file out of the music room. Kyoya and I packed the leftovers away back into their proper places, and then we cleaned off the counters. Once the kitchen was clean as a whistle, Kyoya led the two of us out, retrieving his notebook along the way as well as stopping to allow me to slip off my apron. Aftawards, we strode out of the room passing by everyone along the way. Hunny was taking a nap in his little tent with Mori watching over him protectively, Tamaki was fiddling around with his handcuffs, like a child with a new toy, and Haruhi sat at a table studying from her textbooks. As soon as Kyoya and I passed by the twins, we shot them a quick glare, and they clung to each other in fear.

We didn't do anything to them though; it was more of a forewarning if something like this was ever to occur again. Kyoya, since he didn't have the chance to take any notes during club hours, sat down at a table, setting his notebook down. I took a seat beside him resting my arms on the table, with my head on top. After everything that had occurred this week, I was worn out, especially after what happened today. I clenched my hand, enraged with the twins for what they did; and when I glanced over my shoulder at them, I found that they had already occupied themselves with Haruhi.

I sighed, knowing that it would be a while before we departed for home. Realization soon hit my mind. Kyoya and I would be cuffed with each other for a while, so where would we stay for the night? Would he come over to the apartment, or would I go over to his mansion? Well, Kyoya, like the game-player he was, most likely had already something planned out.

"So," I began breaking the silence, "now that the weekend has begun, who's spending the night with who?"

"My father will be on a business trip to Russia this weekend," Kyoya answered, not even glancing up from his notes. "If you wouldn't mind, you can stay over at the mansion."

"Don't you think that it would be easier if you stayed over at my apartment?" I inquired. "You can just tell your dad that you're staying over at a friend's house."

"So we're _friends_?"

I blushed realizing that I had just said that. "Uh . . . yeah. I mean . . . we've known each other for a whole first term. Well, now that I think about it, maybe we're just acquaintances."

"True. Of course, it seems only fair that I invite you over to stay at my home, since I've already visited yours."

I sighed, but then I glanced up at him. "Are you sure you, or any of your servants, wouldn't mind having an extra person?"

He grinned, adjusting his glasses. "I'll have something arranged."

For once, I was glad to see that grin on his face along with his little idiosyncrasy. Whenever he did that, I knew that he had something plot in that manipulative mind of his. It seemed rather strange that I would be spending the night at a boy's house, no use in packing any clothes, since it would most likely be impossible to get out of out uniforms cuffed together like this. Kyoya had something in mind, so I would just let things go his way.

* * *

**Well, that's it for Part 1!**

**I wanted to make this chapter a nice, juicy, long one for you guys; but . . . it ended up being a bit tooo long, so I'm giving you part one this week, and Part 2 Next Friday! (Or Thursday, depends on how much schoolwork I've got . . .)**

**Anyways, hope you guys have enjoyed the story thus far! Reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**Replied to Last Chapter's Reviews:**

**xXAnimeluver1Xx: Yeah . . . he scares me just when he gets that look when he's got something in mind . . . *shudders***

**Aurora-16: 4 in the morning? Do you try to hold records over the weekend for how long you can stay awake? (The longest I've stayed up is 4:30 . . .) Trust me, it's hard to re-edit a song . . . But, at least it worked out okay! Yes, Kyoya can be a total jerk, but he can be super HAWT! :D**

**kayo-hime: Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of Miley Cyrus either (I'm more of a Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, JoBros girl :D). Jelly toast, nice ;). Yeah, I couldn't think of much to put in that chapter since it was originally supposed to be combined with Chpt. 18. But, I like to keep this story a page-turner for you guys ;)**


	21. Bound for Trouble Part 2

**Hey, guys!**

**I know how much you've been patiently awaiting part two of this! I know tha it's a little early, but Friday's pretty jammed for me, so I won't be able to post it then; but . . . here it is! Hope you guys like it!**

**Oh, and I want to tank everyone who's reviewed my story thus far. I've gotten over 50 reviews already! So, here's my thanks: Thank you Thank You, THANK YOU guys sooooo much! This really means a lot to me!**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know that some of you were worried about the second part becoming a little lemony; but trust me, that's not what I had in mind from the start. (If it were to become lemony, I would've changed the rating . . . Duh :P. Besides, K.C.'s chained with Kyoya, not the twins, so you all can just relax . . .)**

**Anyway, now that that's aside, let's get on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran, or anything Ouran-related.**

**Claimer: I own all of my OC's! :D**

* * *

**Bound for Trouble**

**Part 2**

Everyone had already left the school, which meant that Kyoya and I remained in the clubroom. He had already finished up his notes and finances, so all that was left to update the website, or whatever he did on his computer. The evening was moving by so slow that I nearly fell asleep to the tapping of the keyboard every time Kyoya pressed a key down. I assumed that the reason why the twins were first to leave was because they either A: Wanted to get home and find that key, or B: Didn't want to return home with black-eyes and some teeth missing. Well, hopefully those two learned their lesson, especially research _how to get out of a trap in case something goes wrong_.

It had already been decided that I would stay over at Kyoya's mansion for the night, and hopefully only tonight. I didn't want to be wearing the same uniform for the entire weekend, and I assumed that the twins got the message that the quicker they were at finding that key, the less likely they would have to endure a few weeks of school walking on crutches.

My arms were crossed and rested on the table, while I set my head on top. I had been staring at the same, pastel pink wall for who knew how long, so I decided to change my view. Of course, the only thing I could see when I turned my head as the base of Kyoya's laptop, while his long, nimble fingers swept over the keyboard, pressing each button in sequence. Sometimes, he would pause, to use his mouse, clicking on a document, or opening some important file.

My gaze soon trailed up his long, thin arms up to his fair-skinned, flawless complexion. The light from the computer screen reflected off his spectacles, as he kept his glance glued onto said screen, and illuminated his flawless face. Glare from the screen or not, I could catch a glimpse of his eyes as they scanned over the screen, checking over his work in case there was any miscalculation of spelling error.

That was the one thing about him that I found the most interesting: His eyes. Gray may be the dullest color known to artists, mostly used for shadowing, or gloomy storm clouds; however, I could see that his eyes weren't a solid gray, they were more of a deep pool, showing that they were filled with intelligence. I'll never forget gazing into his eyes the night he kissed me. At times, they may be piercing, or seem like they're scanning your soul, but that night, I saw that they were gentle and filled with kindness.

A smile spread across my lips as I gazed up at him. No matter how much he irked me, I still couldn't get over the fact that I may be in love with him. I still assumed that he wanted me to fall for him just so he could use me for something; but as I thought over it, I was a commoner, so what good would I do him? Maybe, he didn't like me. But, if not, then why would he kiss me? It all just didn't make sense.

I released a deep breath and sat up in the chair. I just had to know. "Hey . . . Kyoya-senpai?"

"Yes?" he answered, not taking his gaze off the computer screen.

I stared at him for a while, unsure of how I would ask him. "Listen . . . I've been wondering . . ."

I trailed off, afraid to ask him; and then I glanced downward, piecing my words together. I always thought that if one of the guests at the Host Club had "feelings", for a certain host, the host would have to turn her down . . . gently. What if that host had feelings for the girl as well? My heart just began to break as I heard Kyoya's voice in my head: "I appologize. I'm flattered that you have these feelings, but it just won't work out between us, Katherine-san . . ."

That calm tone of his echoed in my head when he said my name. "Katherine-san."

I snapped my head up to face him, realizing that he actually _was_ saying my name, and he had stopped his typing and was gazing down at me. Staring into his eyes, I realized that they were deep with concern, which was rare for the Shadow King.

"Sorry, senpai," I spoke. "I think I may have dozed off for a minute."

Kyoya only grinned as he turned back to his computer screen. "It _has_ been a long day."

I nodded in agreement. "We'd both probably be at our own homes by now, if the twins hadn't ruined everything."

"Everyone makes mistakes," the Shadow King spoke, moving his mouse around and clicking a few things.

Suddenly the light from the screen turned off, while the reflection disappeared from his specs so that his eyes were perfectly visible. Kyoya closed his laptop and began to pack it away in his bag, while I grabbed my satchel from beside the table before standing up and slinging it over my shoulder.

"I guess I'll give Hikaru and Kaoru mercy . . . this time," I muttered.

Kyoya gave a week chuckle as he stood up with his own satchel with the strap over his shoulder. Once we were ready, we exited the clubroom turning out the lights on the way and then began walking down the hall. The trip through the school corridors was a chat-less one, but I still couldn't manage to take my mind off of wondering about Kyoya. Did he like me? If so, then he would have to gain something from it. But, what would he gain from a simple commoner?

Suddenly, I felt Kyoya take his hand in mine, and my heart began to race as I halted to a stop. As cold and heartless as he may seem, he sure had a warm, gentle touch. I hadn't felt his hand over mine since the night I broke his glasses. Glancing down at our hands, I gave a quizzical glance up at him, wondering why he had taken my hand. Did he _truly_ have a fondness for me?

Kyoya didn't say a word, only pointing towards something in front of me. I followed his hand, trailing the indication until I realized that I was about to run into a table with an expensive-looking vase on top, filled with an assortment of flowers. I stared at it for a while wondering why I was such an idiot and not paying attention, and then I stepped out of the way. Glancing back up at Kyoya, I gave a sheepish smile; however, he only adjusted his glasses and released my hand. I sighed as I followed him. The handcuffs would tug on my wrists whenever I was too far from him, and I eventually kept myself awake and synchronized my pace with his.

"You seemed rather absent minded, Katherine-san," the Shadow King commented.

"Sorry, senpai," I spoke, glancing away. "I'm just . . . just a little tired."

"Don't worry, you can rest once we get to the estate," Kyoya spoke.

With that, he pulled out his cell phone, dialing who I assumed was his chauffeur to pick us up at the front gate of the school. While he spoke, I still couldn't keep my mind off of him. His voice was just so calm, when he spoke that I nearly melted. Of course, it all depended on if he had that grin on his face, or his piercing eyes. I looked back down the hall as we descended the wide staircase. I sure wasn't going to daydream while walking down these!

Once we made it to the bottom step, Kyoya stopped to finish up his conversation with his driver, and then he flipped the cell phone lid closed before shoving it into his pocket. "It'll be fifteen minutes until the limousine arrives," he spoke, "Five once we make it to the front of the school."

I nodded understandingly, but didn't say a word. I was still a little humiliated that I was daydreaming and nearly knocked over a vase. That wouldn't add to my debt if broken, I would most likely become expelled because of that. At least Kyoya was able to stop me in time before I bumped into it. He probably didn't want me expelled because I brought in the money the club would've lost paying for those desserts.

"You were going to ask me something earlier," Kyoya spoke calmly, not even glancing down at me.

"Huh? Oh, yeah . . ." I spoke. I stammered for a while, trying to piece my words together carefully. "I was just wondering . . ."

My voice trailed off, as the words became jammed in my mind. I couldn't tell him. What if he didn't feel the same way? It was a 50-50 chance, so he may or may not. Of course, maybe I should wait until mid-term before asking him a question like that. Kyoya was still waiting on me to say something, so I sighed and glanced away.

"I guess zoning out made me forget," I lied.

Kyoya didn't say anything to add to that, so I kept my mouth shut for the rest, until we made our way out the door. Five minutes until Kyoya's diver would arrive to take us to his mansion, and I began to grow nervous. I would be going over to a boy's house, and we weren't "together". Literally, yes, but not like the boyfriend/girlfriend. What would his servants say about us? Would they pass on word to his parents saying that we were "together"? I shuddered at the thought.

It was awkward standing outside in the chilling autumn breeze. Neither of us said a word, mainly because I wasn't sure what to talk about. Eventually, though, the silence began to bug me, and I just had to say something. "So, uh . . . It's nice out tonight . . ."

There was no reply from the Otori boy. He only ignored me, either that or he was just doing that thing where he doesn't make eye contact with anyone during a conversation. I trailed off, glancing down the road. No headlights. Great, stuck in this awkward silence again . . . I sure hoped that Kyoya _was_ ignoring me this time, because I felt like a total idiot. When I glanced up at him, I found that he was still staring down the school driveway.

Eventually, a pair of headlights soon appeared at the front gate, moving closer as the limousine pulled up to a halt. Kyoya began to walk forward towards the vehicle, while I followed, figuring that this was his ride. His driver tipped his hat while he held the door open for Kyoya and I to climb into the vehicle. Once we had slid into the seats, the door was closed, darkening the inside of the car. The engine purred as the limo started and began to pull out of the front gate, traveling down the road to the Otori estate.

I wrung my hands together out of nervousness, unsure of what to do once we got to his mansion. I mean, his servants would be there, wouldn't they? So, if they saw us together, they would most likely assume that we were a couple. My face flushed a deep red at the thought, but thank goodness that it was dark inside the limousine, so Kyoya could most likely not be able to see it.

Speaking of the Shadow King, he didn't say a word at all. I know that he's been silent most of the entire day, probably because he was still livid with the twins for being stupid and cuffing us together. Hey, I wouldn't blame him. Hikaru and Kaoru had gotten on my last nerve when they made me chase them around the room on Monday, and now they had cuffed me to Kyoya. I'd let them have mercy for the whole handcuffing trick, but I would definitely set up some kind of trap for messing around with my camera.

I still couldn't keep my mind off that question. Did he like me, or was the whole kiss thing just to make me fall for him so that he could use me later? Taking a deep breath, I released it.

"Kyoya-senpai?"

"Hmm?"

I wrung my hands tightly. "I . . . I remember what I was going to ask you."

"What?"

"D-Do you . . ."

My words became jammed in my throat as I found my voice trailing off. Why was it so hard to ask him? Well, it was kind of a silly question, but now may not have been the right time. Plus, it wasn't such a good week for either of us, so I would wait until a day when Kyoya was more . . . chipper. Of course, I knew that Kyoya wanted an answer from me, so I had to figure out something else to say.

"Do you . . . have a plan?" I inquired. "You know, like how we're going to pull the whole "handcuffed together" thing off?"

Kyoya adjusted his glasses with his free hand. "Since it's late and most the staff has probably gone home," he answered, "we could head on to the bedroom and rest for the night. As for tomorrow, we'll have to keep everything on the down low until the twins arrive with the key."

"And you said your dad was on a business trip, right?"

Kyoya nodded. "From what I know, he's already left, so the whole mansion is empty for the night."

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Kyoya, my boy. You're home awfully late."

"Father, I thought you left already."

"I meant to call you about that. Because of weather conditions, I won't be able to leave until tomorrow morning."

Kyoya and I both stared in surprise as his father descended down the staircase and made his way to meet us, and we moved our cuffed hands behind our backs, hidden from view. Mr. Ootori was a tall, lean man (just a few inches shorter than Kyoya though . . .), and looked to be in his late forties or so. He owned thin, jet black hair with a matching mustache and beard on his chin. He stood proud, like the owner of the Ootori Company he was, as he stopped in front of us.

"And, who might you be, young lady?" his father inquired, gazing down at me.

"Uh . . . Katherine Johnson, sir," I spoke, rather intimidated by his looks.

"I see. So, _you're_ the scholarship transfer student from American then?"

"Yes, sir."

"What business do you have coming _here_?"

I was hesitant at that part as a small sweat-drop rolled down the back of my head; however, I quickly came up with something: "Kyoya's tutoring me in . . . mathematics."

His father raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Funny. For a scholarship student, I'd suspect you'd know all the material."

"You must understand, sir. The studies here in Japan are far more advanced than the studies back in America."

Mr. Ootori stared down at me for a while with that intimidating look of his. Now I know where Kyoya got that from. Eventually, though, his face softened as he gazed down at the two of us.

"All right," he spoke. Then, he turned and began to walk away, but not before glancing over his shoulder at Kyoya. "See to it that Katherine has a ride back to her own home once you two are finished."

"Yes, sir," Kyoya answered.

His father then began striding down the hallway, while Kyoya and I watched until his figured disappeared in the shadows. I sighed with relief. That was close! For a second there I thought that I was going to faint from a panic attack. And I thought Kyoya could be intimidating, but not as much as his father was.

"Tutoring in mathematics?" Kyoya questioned flatly, glancing down at me.

"Hey, your dad seemed to buy it," I shrugged. Then, I smirked, "And you said I was a terrible liar."

Kyoya adjusted his specs. "Come on. Let's head up to my room."

With that, he began walking towards the staircase while I followed close behind him, wary not to fall back and trip on the way up. Eventually, we came to his room, which I at first thought could be the living room considering that there was an entire sofa in there! Scratch that . . . _two_ sofas. Heck, there was even a giant, flat-screen television in here! It was hard to believe that _this_ was Kyoya's room, and I was struck speechless; however, I did manage to blow out an astounded whistle.

"So," I spoke after a moment of silence, "I guess we're going to turn in for the day?"

"You can," Kyoya replied simply, "but, I have a few more things to finish up."

I stared up at him while we walked towards his bed. It was nearly midnight, and Kyoya still had work to do? Geez, he can't learn to take a break, can he? Of course, as tired as I was, I wasn't sure where I would sleep for the night. Not with Kyoya in his bed, because that was wrong on so many levels. So, I decided to come up with my own plan.

Turning in a different direction, I tugged Kyoya along while I walked towards an armchair placed in the corner of his room. Grabbing a hold of it, I hauled it towards the side of the bed, while Kyoya watched me with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" he inquired.

"I'm moving a chair," I answered flatly. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Once the arm of the chair touched the mattress, I climbed into it, while Kyoya crawled onto his bed beside me. Setting his book bag down beside him, the Otori boy sat cross-legged on his bed and began to take out his computer, while I took out my math textbook and began to work on my lesson.

"You aren't taking the whole tutoring thing seriously, are you, Katherine-san?" Kyoya inquired.

"No, I just do math when I can't get to sleep," I answered. "Besides, it's yesterday's lesson, so I don't have to worry about flunking it."

"You were tired when we left the school."

"Well, I'm not anymore. Not yet anyway."

Neither of us said a word after that. All that could be heard was the scratching of my pencil against the notebook paper, and Kyoya's fingers busily typing away on the keyboard. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and I froze as Kyoya allowed whoever it was in. Thank goodness it was just one of his butlers and not his father. I wouldn't know how to stand up to him again.

"Kyoya-sama," the servant spoke. "Your father wishes to speak with you privately."

"Tell him I'm on my way there," Kyoya answered, not taking his eyes off the computer screen.

His butler nodded, bowing at the waist, as he exited the room and closed the door behind him. It was a good thing that the chain attached to the cuffs was hidden under the hardback cover of the textbook, or else there might be word from the servants that could spread to Kyoya's father.

The Ootori boy set his laptop to the side and slid off his bed, while I busily added negative and positive integers together. Of course, my hand was soon jerked to the side, creating a long black line of graphite along the paper.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, glancing over at Kyoya.

He only stared down at me, and eventually the mental message process through my mind. We were handcuffed together . . . Duh. So, I had to go wherever Kyoya went, despite the fact that his father ordered to speak with him _privately._

_"_Oh, right . . ." I muttered.

Turning my body around, I stood up off the chair and followed Kyoya out of his bedroom and down the long hallways of his mansion. Every time we turned a corner, I always met with the eggshell-colored walls that stretched up about fifteen feet or so to the ceiling. Eventually, Kyoya stopped at a door, which I presumed was where his father was, and then he turned to me.

"You stay out here," he spoke calmly.

I nodded, and then I watched as the black-haired boy knocked on the door, and then slipped into the room once his father allowed him. Once in the room, however, Kyoya stayed at the door, with his cuffed hand behind his back so that the chain ran through the crack. I couldn't overhear much of what was going on, mainly because my mind was beginning to zone out again; however, my ears perked up at one thing his father said.

"You've got a long road to travel, Kyoya," he spoke. "You've kept your grades high all the way through Elementary, Middle, and now High School. This year is your last chance to give 110% to obtain the company from me."

_Sheesh, Kyoya's got a lot of pressure on him . . ._ I thought to myself.

"You have a slight chance of inheriting Ootori Medical, but it's not a definite possibility," his father continued. "I still have high expectations for you, son. You understand that by now, don't you?"

"Yes, sir," I heard Kyoya reply.

"Good," spoke Mr. Ootori. "Now from here until graduation, you can't allow anything to stand in your way. If inheriting the family company is your number one priority, you can't allow yourself to be distracted by _anything_. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, then. You're dismissed."

I took that as my cue to step to the side and to allow Kyoya to step backwards out of the room. Once he closed the door and took his place beside me, Kyoya began walking back wordlessly towards his room. I refrained from asking his any questions about their conversation, mainly because it was none of my business; nevertheless, I couldn't help but think back on what Mr. Ootori told his son. He sure was strict, especially since he had high expectations for Kyoya. As much as I wanted to talk with Kyoya about it, I knew that it wouldn't be the smart thing to do, since eavesdropping wasn't the right thing to do.

Once we entered Kyoya's living-room-like-bedroom, he made his way over to his bed and took his former seat, cross-legged with his computer on his lap. I, on the other hand, decided to pack my textbook away and catch up on some well needed rest. Setting my book bag down on the floor beside the chair, I reclined sideways in the chair, with the side of my body against the back of the chair and my legs hanging over the arm.

"Well," I spoke, stretching my limbs out, "It's time for me to turn in. See you in the morning, Kyoya-senpai."

"I've told you before," he spoke calmly, with his eyes glued to his laptop. "You don't have to refer to me as 'senpai' when we're not on school grounds."

"Oh, right . . . forgot," I spoke, blushing somewhat. Then, it disappeared as a smirk spread across my face as glanced over at him. "Well, then . . . Night-night, Kyo-chan."

Kyoya stopped typing, and then he gave me a sideways glance. I couldn't tell if he was either irritated or embarrassed that I addressed him with the name Hunny gave him; however, I only giggled at him before turning my glance away from him and nuzzling my head into the cushion on the back of the chair. The Ootori boy sighed, and then resumed his typing. Kyoya kept the light on, probably to be able to see his keyboard, but I wouldn't blame him. It was unhealthy to stare at a bright screen in the middle of darkness anyway.

Eventually, the light tapping of the keys on the laptop soon put me to sleep.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I groaned as I tossed my head over to the side. I couldn't quite remember the dream I had, but it seemed A LOT shorter than my dreams would typically last. Opening my eyes, I found Kyoya, still on his bed, typing away on his laptop. Had I only been asleep for ten minutes? Glancing over at the clock on his nightstand, I found that it read **3:32**am. I sighed to myself as I rubbed the blur from my eyes with my free hand.

"Kyoya . . ." I spoke groggily.

"It's not morning, if that's what your wondering," he answered.

"It _is_ morning actually," I spoke with a small smile. "The sun just isn't up yet."

The Shadow King didn't add anything to my comment, instead, he ignored it (at least that's what I assumed), and continued to type away on his laptop. The glare from the computer screen illuminated his face and reflected off of his specs as he continued to work on whatever it was.

I sighed and reached my free hand over, slightly pushing down the lid of his laptop. "Kyoya, it's late," I spoke. "You shouldn't work yourself into overdrive like this. Besides," I added with a smile. "It's the weekend."

Kyoya stayed silent for a few moments, but then, he pushed the lid of his computer back up. I frowned at him as he clicked on a few things. Why did he have to work himself to the edge like this? Sure, his father told him to put in 110%, but, still, it was the weekend, and everyone would be relaxing and taking a day off. I sighed and turned away from him.

Just when I thought Kyoya would stay up for another hour, everything grew quiet. No noise from the hard-drive murmured through the air, no clicking, or typing was heard either; instead though, there was a rustle, and then a loud _THUMP _onto the floor. Glancing over at Kyoya, I found that his computer was off the bed and in his bag, which lay on the floor beside his bed. As for the Shadow King himself, he had slipped underneath the covers. I smiled as I watched him remove his glasses and switch off the lamp, darkening the room.

As my eyes adjusted to the benightedness, I continued to stare at Kyoya's perfectly carved face. Quietly sighing, I remembered the night when I accidentally knocked his glasses off his face, and when I looked up at him, he looked like a whole different person. Well, that was most likely because I wasn't used to him without his specs on. Still, I couldn't help but watch him as he slowly fell into a deep sleep.

He just looked more vulnerable. No mask was on his face, hiding his true emotions. His true self was revealed to the world. A boy pressed hard under his father's thumb, and had to work himself to death just to prove his worthiness to him. I understood what he was going through. Well, maybe not _me_ exactly, but Joseph was the exact same way, always trying his hardest to live up to his parents' expectations.

I gazed at Kyoya's sleeping body for a few minutes more, when realization soon struck me. I _was_ in love with him. Every day, I would ask myself why I blushed ever so slightly when he was around me, or when I couldn't come up with something to say when we were around each other. Sure, Kyoya got on my nerves sometimes, but I just couldn't help but allow my mind to wander to the night when he kissed me. Maybe . . . he was in love with me too.

Ever since hosting hours ended, I was worried about asking him that question, and I covered it up with lies, or made-up questions. My head was telling me to wait until tomorrow to say something to him, but my heart kept screaming "Do it now while you still have a chance!"

"Kyoya?" I inquired.

When he gave no response, I knew that he was definitely asleep. Swallowing hard, I slowly leaned forward toward him, making sure not to awaken him from his slumber. After what Tamaki told me about Kyoya's "Demonic State" whenever he was woken up, I shuddered at the mere thought.

Once my face was just inches above Kyoya's, I gazed down at him. His lips were parted somewhat while his gentle, warm breath flowed from his lungs and out of those lips. I smiled remembering when those lips were sealed over mine, and I could still smell the peppermint scent from his breath. I wanted to kiss him back so badly, but instead, I moved my head forward, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you," I whispered.

Then, I slowly reeled myself back into the chair and lounged back with my legs hanging over one arm and my body twisted slightly so that my head rested on my right arm. I opened my eyes halfway to gaze at Kyoya one last time, and then I smiled and closed them back, waiting for sleep to take over me.

It almost did, anyway. There was a tug on my cuffed wrist, and then found myself rolling onto the floor. Well, that completely ruined the moment . . . Groaning, I sat up and peered over the bed to discover that Kyoya had turned over on his other side with his back to me. I released a small sigh of annoyance, but then I carefully lifted his cuffed arm up and moved it back behind him. Then, I climbed back into the chair and lounged myself out again.

This time, there was no interruption, and I was allowed to fall back asleep.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The familiar sound of keys being quickly pressed down in order awoke me from the middle of my sleep. I groaned as I turned over, trying to relieve myself of my stiff, aching back. Note to self: If you have to sleep somewhere other than a bed, lay in a recliner or on a sofa, NOT A CHAIR.

"Sleep well, Katherine?" the deep voice of the Shadow King teased.

I opened my eyes and glanced over at him. Kyoya was back on his computer, finishing up whatever it was that he didn't finish last night. "Oh, yeah, I slept like a baby," I grumbled sarcastically. "You should try sleeping sideways in a chair for . . ." I paused to gaze over at the clock, **11:03**. "Eight hours straight."

I saw that grin creep on his lips. "I'll be sure to out that on my list of things to do."

Sighing, I stood up off the chair and stretched my weary limbs, as well as my aching spine. "Have the twins called yet?"

"Not yet."

"Great." There was silence, and then I turned to Kyoya. "Well, we have all afternoon to wait on them. So, what do you want to do?"

Kyoya didn't reply, just continued to type away on his laptop ignoring me again. _Is that all he ever does?_ I pondered.

"You're wondering if working on my laptop is how I spend my weekends, correct?" Kyoya asked.

I froze in place as I stared at him taken aback. How in the world did he know what I was thinking? Did that genius brain of his allow him the power to read minds? Creepy . . . cool, but still creepy.

"Yes," I answered. "I mean, it's Saturday for crying out loud! You need to get off your butt and do something."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "If you do recall, I didn't have the chance to work on the club's finances at all yesterday since I was working with you in the kitchen. Also, I only got part of it completed at school and at home, so I'm just finishing up everything that remains."

"Which will take how long exactly?"

"It varies."

I sighed as I glanced around the room. Great, I was stuck at the Otori mansion with nothing to do but stare at the wall and listen to Kyoya type away on his laptop. On top of all that, neither of us knew when the twins would retrieve the key to the cuffs. Could this day get any better?

"If you'd like, we can head over to the sofa and I could work at the table," Kyoya broke the silence. "The sofa is probably more comfortable than that chair anyway."

I stared at him in surprise, but then I agreed. Kyoya stood up off his bed with his satchel over his shoulder, while carrying his laptop in his hands. I followed him, my bag over my shoulder as well, as we descended the staircase into living-room part of his bedroom, and then he set his laptop down on a milk white table and sat down cross-legged, while I sat down beside him. I wasn't tired enough to fall back asleep, as sore as I was; and if I lied on the matching white sofa, all I could do is stare up at the ceiling out of boredom.

Taking my sketchpad out of my satchel, I set it down on the table and took out a pencil and began to doodle. Neither of us said a word to each other, I guess because neither of us wanted to interrupt each other's "work".

However, Kyoya did speak up: "No landscapes?"

I turned to him wondering what he was talking about, but then I realized that he was talking about my drawing. I smirked as I scratched a few lines on the page. "No, it's just my idea for the ultimate pay back I have in store for the terrible-twosome."

Kyoya gave a weak laugh. "I thought you were giving them mercy."

"For cuffing us together, yes," I answered. "_This_ is for taking my camera."

With that, I sketched two stick figures with spiky hair screaming at the top of their lungs as they hung above the ground caught in a net trap. I smiled as I placed a broken trip wire beneath them with the camera lying suspiciously in the middle of the floor on the other side of the net. Yep, that would tech them to _never_ mess with me or my stuff.

"You're a very fascinating person, Katherine-san," Kyoya spoke, interjecting my daydream.

I glanced up at him puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"

"You're always at the top of your class, but you act like someone with an average IQ level," Kyoya rephrased. "You're very intelligent, but you act so care-free."

"So? I'll act smart when I want to act smart. Not many people like a know-it-all . . . no offense, of course."

"None taken."

"But, like I said back at the amusement park, I don't want to become a target for mean girls, you know. I came to this school just to understand what it felt like . . . to finally understand what it feels like to be a rich kid, since I never had that chance." I paused as I sighed, glancing down at my doodle. "Ouran Academy is the only school so far that I've ever been to anyway. I didn't care what school I went to whether it was in America or a boarding school in Europe. But," I added with a small smile, "but I'm glad that I got to come here to Japan. I'm not sure how or why, but I feel like I've changed since I left home."

Kyoya didn't say anything, but I could tell that he was contemplating over what I told him . . . either that or he was ignoring me again. After a few more moments of silence, I went back to sketching, and from time to time, I would twist my body to rid myself from the ache in my back. I am _never_ going to sleep in a chair again, unless it's a recliner.

Once my plot for my revenge against the twins was complete, I stared down at it for a moment and sighed. "Why do you think Hikaru and Kaoru like to mess with us?"

"They mess with everyone," Kyoya spoke.

"I know," I answered. "But, when it's something about you and me, they always try to pair us up, like back at the theme park. I'm still convinced that they planned this whole handcuffed-thing from the start. If not, then they're at least letting us wait while they 'find the key'." I sighed and glanced up at him. "You don't think that they're trying to put us together, do you, Kyoya?"

"Perhaps," he spoke, adjusting his glasses. "Of course, I remember last year when Kaoru asked Haruhi on a date, he pretended to be sick just so Hikaru could go out with her."

Gazing up at him surprised, I thought over what he said. _Hikaru likes Haruhi? But, I thought that Tamaki likes Haruhi. What about Kaoru? Doesn't **he **like her? Maybe that's why the three of them argue around her . . ._

"Well," I spoke with a smirk, "I think I may have scared the snot out of them yesterday, so I doubt that they'll want to play matchmaker again."

Kyoya smiled ever so slightly at that, even though he was still staring at his computer screen the entire time. As soon as silence settled in the room again, with only the sound of Kyoya tapping his fingers on the keys, I went back to doodling. My back was still killing me, so I decided to stop the sketching for a while and rest. Slipping my shoes off, I climbed onto the white couch and stretched my body out.

"You're going back to sleep again?" Kyoya inquired.

I nodded. "And I'll be sure to have a good sleep this time and not wake up aching." Then I turned over on my side, facing Kyoya. "If the twins call, just tell me when I wake up."

"All right," he answered.

I smiled as I gazed at him. So, this was the boy that I had fallen in love with? It was hard to believe at first. I mean, I probably would've never grown to love him if I hadn't began working for the Host Club, and that wouldn't have occurred if I hadn't broken Kyoya's glasses, and _that_ wouldn't have happened if I didn't begin visiting the club, and, of course, _that_ wouldn't have happened if Kyoya had invited me. In fact, he probably wouldn't have invited me if I hadn't accidentally traveled to the third-year division. Were we destined to be together? Who knew? Only time would tell.

As I continued to gaze at Kyoya, my eyelids soon began to sag, and I fell into a peaceful, and painless, slumber.

**~ . . * . . ~**

My eyes fluttered open, and I stared ahead, allowing my vision to focus. Kyoya wasn't at the table where he sat originally, and his laptop had been packed away. Judging by the blue sky outside, I assumed that I had slept only an hour or so. Well, at least I didn't fall asleep in the chair!

"Sleep well _this time, _Katherine?" a familiar monotone voice spoke from beside me.

I glanced up to find Kyoya reclined against the arm of the sofa beside the one I was lying on. His back was turned to me as he engaged himself in a book.

"Yeah," I answered, sitting up. "I really needed that rest."

I rubbed my eyes with my free hand, but then I realized something. I couldn't feel my bracelet sliding around as I moved my arm. Opening my eyes, I moved my hand back only to find that my trinket had disappeared!

"My charm bracelet!" I shrieked. "It's gone!"

I checked my other hand, just to make sure that I wasn't mistaken myself, but it wasn't latched around my other wrist either.

Right before I could ask Kyoya if he had done anything with it, he sighed, closing his book. "Relax, Katherine-san," he spoke calmly, pushing his glasses up.

Then, he picked up a long, golden chain from off the table and passed it back to me, without making eye contact. Relieved, I took the bracelet, glad that he had it. I assumed that Kyoya had taken it off my wrist so that it wouldn't become damaged while I slept.

As I took a closer look at it though, I found that it _was_ damaged. Although there were only a few charms, they were all bent, and the thin, golden chain itself was tangled and twisted. How in the world did it end up like this?

"I used it to try and pick the locks on the cuffs," Kyoya, using his mind-reading skills, answered.

Clutching the wristlet in my hand, I held it close to me. I understand that Kyoya wanted to be free as much as I wanted to, but why did he have to do _this_? That bracelet was the only thing I had to remeber my brother by while I was here in Japan, and now it was ruined. Tears filled my eyes as I looked at the golden inscription beside the latches: **"****With Love Always ..."** I hung my head blinking back the tears so that I wouldn't start crying.

"Why?" I whispered. "Why would you do that?"

"It was the only thing accessible I could use without waking you," Kyoya answered. "If I had tried to grab a hair pin or something, I would have to wake you in order to reach it." Kyoya paused for a minute, but I didn't say anything further. "It's just a bracelet," he spoke. "You can buy a new one can't you?"

_Just a bracelet?_ I shouted in my mind. _You don't know the half of it, Otori!_

I couldn't stand to hear him talk like that anymore! So, I stood up and approached him as he continued: "I could have another one pre-ordered with the charms and everything. Of course, the price would be added to your debt -"

At that moment, Kyoya turned to look up at me, but he didn't get to finish as my hand swept across his face. All was silent after that, and I glared down at Kyoya, pain and rage burning in my heart. As for the Shadow King, he didn't say a word, just touched the red spot on his cheek.

"You, Kyoya Ootori, are the most selfish, conceited person I've ever met in my entire life!" I yelled at him. "You don't care about anyone but yourself, and the only time when you care about someone is when you gain something from it!"

"It's not like I _should _care," he answered, standing up and staring down at me. "I have my reasons."

"Reasons for being a jerk!" I shouted up at him.

"Is that bracelet really all that important to you?"

I was about to slap him again, but tears formed anew in my blood-shot eyes, and I glanced down at the floor, trying to blink them away again. "You wouldn't understand."

"I understand that women are fond of jewelry, so I could just have it replaced for you."

I glanced back up at him, throwing my treasured wristlet onto the table. "But _this_ can't be replaced!"

"It's just a bracelet."

"It's not 'just a bracelet' it's -"

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted my rant. Kyoya allowed whoever it was to open, and we found that it was one of his butlers.

"Kyoya-sama," he spoke. "You have visitors."

I scowled down at the floor already knowing who the "visitors" were. "It's about time," I muttered.

Kyoya dismissed his butler, who bowed and walked down the hall. In complete silence, Kyoya and I walked out the door. Neither of us looked up at each other or said a word. I didn't want to talk to Kyoya after what just occurred. Why would he do such a thing like that?

We both descended down the stairs as two identical, auburn-haired boys glanced up at us. "Hey, you two," they chimed together as we stood in front of them. "Did you have fun together?"

"Yeah," Kyoya answered flatly.

"Sure, whatever," I added coldly.

The twins stared at us confused; however, Kyoya and I held out our wrists, ready to be free from each other. I was especially ready. I didn't want to be stuck with the Selfish King any longer. And to think that I had fallen in love with him . . . Guess I was wrong.

Hikaru pulled out the key from his pocket and inserted it in the lock. "Sorry it took us so long," he spoke.

"The boss took his real handcuffs from his cosplay home, and he somehow managed to cuff himself to the chandelier," Kaoru added.

"So it was the Super Twins to the rescue!" they chorused together, taking the cuffs from our wrists.

Kyoya and I both muttered a "Thanks" to the two of them, and I rubbed my wrist with my free hand. Then, I realized that I left my bracelet back in Kyoya's room. Well, it was broken now, along with my heart.

"Hey, could you guys drop me off at my apartment?" I inquired.

"Sure thing, K.C.," they spoke with those cheery smiles.

"Good," I answered. Then I glared up at Kyoya from the corner of my eye. "I don't want to stay _here _any longer."

Hikaru and Kaoru both stared at me with confused expression, and looked to Kyoya for answers. Of course, _he_ gave no reply and shoved his hands in his pockets. There was tension in the air as silence filled the room.

"Well," Hikaru spoke, "I guess we'd best be heading off."

"Sorry about the whole handcuff thing, you two," Kaoru added.

Kyoya and I both muttered a "No problem", and then the twins, still confused about what was going on, shrugged and walked out of the house, waving goodbye to Kyoya on the way. I, of course, didn't look back at all and just kept walking. I didn't want to look at, talk to or about, or even think of Kyoya. Not after what he did. That selfish jerk!

The twins and I walked in silence towards the limousine parked at the front gate of the Ootori mansion. Hikaru and Kaoru opened the door for me, allowing me to slide in first, and then they filed in, letting their driver know that they were all set. As the engine started, the vehicle soon began to move forward down the driveway; and as much as I wanted to, I refused to look back at the estate. Instead, I hung my head thinking over the events that occurred from this morning up until now.

"Is everything all right, K.C.?" I heard Kaoru ask.

"You look sort of down," Hikaru added.

I glanced up at them, and then hung my head. "It's nothing really."

"Come on, K.C., we all know that's not true," the two spoke taking a seat on either side of me.

I continued to stare down at the floor, not wanting to look up at them. I felt two pairs of arms wrap around my upper body, and then I felt two bodies being pressed against mine. Glancing up, I noticed the twins were mere inches away from my face with saddened complexions.

"Please, tell us, Katherine," Hikaru spoke, stroking the side of my face with his hand.

"We don't like to see our imouto so upset like this," Kaoru added, nuzzling his head against mine.

I stared from the two of them, who only gazed back at me with puppy-dog eyes. It was the first time I had ever heard them call me their "imouto", their "little sister", so I guess they liked the idea of being my substitute older brothers here in Japan. As much as I wanted to smile, I couldn't. Of course, I knew that Hikaru and Kaoru wouldn't stop pestering me until they got me to talk.

"Well," I began. "I fell asleep on the sofa, and I guess Kyoya was a little impatient, so . . ." My eyes grew moist as I thought over what he said to me earlier. "So . . . so he used my bracelet to try and pick the lock, ruining it in the process."

I hung my head trying to blink back the tears that threatened to spew from my eyes, but then the twins hugged me closer.

"It's all right, K.C.," Hikaru spoke.

"It's just a bracelet," Kaoru added.

"It's not just a bracelet!" I exclaimed pushing them away from me. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. "Sorry, guys."

"What's so important about it?" they inquired.

"You see," I began. "My brother gave me that bracelet the day before we moved into the home we currently live in, well, he does now anyway. I get a new charm every time I visit someplace new. You guys already know how close my brother and I are, and that bracelet is . . . well, _was_ the only thing I had left to remember him by."

Unable to hold my tears back any longer, I hid my face in my hands, not wanting the twins to watch my cry. However, Hikaru wrapped his arms around my shoulder, pulling me towards him, while Kaoru bound his arms around my waist and leaned on me.

"There, there, Katherine," they spoke together. "Everything will be fine."

"It's not like you're going to automatically forget your brother," Kaoru added.

"Besides, you've still got us and the rest of the Host Club," Hikaru ended.

I calmed down and lowered my hands from my face. The twins were right. Even though Joe had given me the charm bracelet with love and everything that he was, nothing could match up to the real thing; and, like Hikaru said: "You're with family in the Host Club."

I sniffled. "Thanks, you guys . . ."

"Anytime, K.C.," they spoke together.

"Whenever you need us," Hikaru began.

"We're always there for you," Kaoru ended.

The ends of my lips curled into a smile as I snuggled with the twins all the way back to the apartments. It was nice to know that I had caring friends to look out for me and support me whenever I needed them the most. Hikaru and Kaoru, ever since the day I requested them, have been there for me. Even though they tease me sometimes and mess around with my stuff, they're still the two sweetest guys I've come to know and love like my own brothers.

We stayed like that for the remainder of the car trip; and once the limousine pulled into the parking lot, I thanked the two of them and then exited the limo, heading towards my apartment. I waved to them as the limousine pulled out of the parking lot and drove down the road. Once it disappeared, I sighed and then entered my apartment.

* * *

**Wow . . . can anyone spell Drama? Like I said, I'm still trying my hardest to keep the humor in here.**

**So, yeah, I had to split Chapter 20 & 21 up because you guys would've been up all night reading it!**

**Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it! R&R!**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

**For those of you who didn't get my last message at the end of the previous chapter, I went back and re-edited the curse words, changing them to safer words! If there was any that I missed, please let me know!**

**Replies to reviews from last chapter****:**

**BravoMonAmi: Yes, those twins are quite a handful, aren't they? Thanks!**

**silverrain1312: Thanks so much! Wow 2:40 am? That's amazing! If only you knew how great it feels to hear you say that! I've been trying to keep everyone in character, it's easy when it comes to Mori! XD I was worried that Kyoya was beginning to become a little out of character . . . but, I'm glad that he's still in! Phew, thank goodness! I'm glad K.C.'s not Mary Sue-ish, because I don't want her to be that way, but I'm glad she's not. Thanks for reading!**

**Lock'n'KeyYou'n'Me: Yays! Thanks for tuning in again! I missed ya! ;)**

**Aurora-16: 9:30! Wow . . . But, yeah, he is pretty smoking H-O-T hawt! True that! Yays! Brownies!**

**JuliaDeidararoleplayingbtw: Don't worry, I'm not a supporter of that kind of stuff ;)**


	22. Broken Hearts

**I've been thinking about putting another song in my next chapter, but I'm stuck with a few different options . . . Sooooooo, I've posted a poll on my profile page, so that you guys can vote what song you want to hear in the next chapter! :)**

**Okay, so that's it for now. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. The characters and storyline rightfully belong to the wonderful Bisco Hatori. And this is really starting to get old, typing it at the beginning of each chapter . . .**

**Claimer: I own all of my OC's! Yays! :D**

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**~ Chapter 22 ~**

**Broken Hearts**

The chilling air blew through the trees that were painted with an assortment of reds, oranges, and yellows. Leaves would, at times, snap from their place on the limbs, twirling freely down to the ground on the grass or stone pathway by the school. Autumn, although flourishing with temperatures that gradually decreased, was one of the most beautiful seasons. Not many animals would venture out to play, because they were busy storing food for hibernation through the winter. Yes, September had quickly morphed into the first week of October, meaning that the term was nearly halfway over.

It was halfway through the lunch period, and I found myself walking down the stone pathway, crunching a few leaves under my shoes as I stepped on them. I understood how they felt. Ever since the day that Kyoya used my treasured bracelet to pick the lock on the handcuff, neither of us had spoken to the other. Kyoya did, however, drop my messenger bag off at my apartment the following day, because I left it at his mansion. Of course, we didn't say much then either just a simple "You left your bag," and after I coldly thanked him, he left.

Now, it's been a month, and we barely uttered a word to each other.

I allowed my heart to get ahead of me once again. First, it happened when I thought that Kyoya left that note at my door to meet him in the hedge maze, and now it came to ruining my bracelet. Sure, Hikaru and Kaoru told me that Joe was always with me, and I didn't need some little trinket; but it was more than that. My brother gave me that bracelet to show me how much he loved and cared for me, and I knew that he still did, but it was one of the very few gifts I had ever received in my life.

What I didn't understand was why Kyoya had to be so heartless and use it to pick the lock. I mean, I wanted to be out of those cuffs and have unlimited mobility as much as he wanted to; but, why couldn't he wait until I woke up to find a paperclip or something? Worst of all, he didn't seem to care that he damaged it! That was typical Kyoya of course.

I sighed, but then the sound of wood being clanking together echoed through the campus. _Guess Satoshi's out practicing again,_ I thought.

When I glanced over, sure enough, there was Satoshi sparring with someone else, most likely from the kendo club; however, I noticed one of the female high school students peering around the corner, watching the two battling. Her long, dark hair caught my attention, and I slowly approached her.

"Tao?" I inquired.

The girl gave a startled yelp as she whirled around to face me. "Oh, Katherine-san," she spoke, with a sheepish smile, "nice to see you."

"Nice to see you, too," I spoke. "What are you doing exactly?"

The girl sighed as she turned her attention back over to the battling duo. "Oh, just watching Satoshi," she answered. "He's amazing when it comes to kendo, just like his older brother, Mori-senpai."

"Have you told your parents about . . . you know, the marriage?"

There was silence, and I noticed Tao drop her head as her shoulders sagged. "No . . . I'm afraid that they would be upset with me."

"Why would you? I mean, it's _your _life anyway."

"I know." Tao turned around to face me. "The thing is, I still haven't given up the nerve to tell Satoshi how I truly feel about him."

"Then that's what's holding you back. If you love someone _that_ much, you have to tell them how you feel no matter what; and if he doesn't return your love, then just move on to the next one. It's not like it'll be the end of the world. Not every first crush or boyfriend ends up as 'the one'."

There was silence as the girl glanced down, probably contemplating what I told her, and then she glanced up at me and smiled. "You're right, Katherine. In fact, you sound like you know exactly what you mean, like you've been there done that."

I was silent as I hesitated to explain. Hanging my head, I looked away from her, unsure of how to respond. There was that familiar feeling again. The feeling where my heart felt like it was being stabbed with a knife. I may have confessed my feelings for Kyoya, but he was asleep, so that probably didn't count. After what occurred at his mansion, my heart chipped and cracked every time his cold words repeated in my mind.

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand placed on my arm. "Katherine?"

I glanced up to see Tao with a concerned expression. I tried to plaster on a smile, letting her know that there was nothing to worry about, but, apparently, she didn't buy it. _Maybe I am a terrible liar . . ._

"It _has _happened to you, hasn't it?" she inquired.

"Yeah," I answered glumly. "But, but it's okay. I'm over it . . . somewhat."

We gazed at each other for a while, but then Tao glanced away in Satoshi's direction again. I could tell that she was worried that the same thing would happen to her, that she would be rejected. Of course, my situation wasn't like hers.

"Listen, Tao," I spoke. "Satoshi may have feelings for you, but don't worry if he doesn't. You have to stay positive. If you want something badly, you have to work hard for it."

She didn't respond, just continued to gaze at the boy she had fallen in love with as he swiftly moved his bamboo sword to defend himself, and forward when he was attacking. The only noise that filled the air was the sound of clanking wood against each other.

Then the girl released a deep breath and glanced back at me. "Thanks, Katherine."

"Anytime, Tao," I answered.

As soon as I said that, the school bells chimed, signaling the ending of the lunch break. Satoshi and his opponent stopped to remove their armor before heading back to put it away. Tao and I both walked down the hall to the classroom, and we chatted about the Host Club and the upcoming events for the term.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"A Fright Night?" I mused, as the class representative babbled on the events that would take place on the last day of October.

Halloween was always my favorite holiday of the year. When I was younger, I could never remember the real name for it, so I always called it "Candy Night". The couple Joe worked for at the supermarket at the time would let us both quit early to go trick-or-treating. I remember dressing up as a fairy princess three years in a row. It was the exact same one, since I stayed the same size for those years. (Yeah, I came from the shallow end of the gene pool . . .) I guess I grew out of trick-or-treating the year before we moved, but it was still fun to look back on the memories. What was the "Fright Night" all about though? Did anyone even trick-or-treat here in Japan? Well, trick-or-treating wasn't much of a high-schooler's way to spend Halloween anyway.

" . . . and we'll make this year twice as better than last year's Fright Night the previous first-years held," the class rep, Menami Oniko, proclaimed. "This year we'll use decorations that are as realistic as possible, but we'll still use the same rules from last year. Everyone will be split into groups of five, so that means there will be six groups total. Three groups will be the 'hunters' while the other tree will be the 'prey'. The boundaries are the entire northern wing of the school, so no going anywhere else! The hunters will try to scare the prey with as many tricks as they have up their sleeves, and the most terrifying one will be posted on the front page of the school newspaper."

There was a low murmur throughout the room as students confabulated with their desk neighbors about the "Fright Night", while the class representative continued to babble about how exciting the night would be. Menami, as sweet as a girl she was, she could be a little over the top at times. Just like Renge, except she wasn't much of an otaku.

"All right, settle down everyone!" she spoke once again. As soon as the room grew silent, she began, "Now, we have three weeks to prepare, so we'll borrow some of the props from the Stellar Club, or the stuff in the storeroom. Unlike last year, we'll have the entire hallways decorated with frightening zombies, spider webs, and skeletons. It'll be a night to remember!"

Scratch that . . . _exactly_ like Renge.

"So," Menami continued, "Starting next Monday, we'll gather the props and decorations we'll need and figure out how to set them up. The week before the Fright Night, we'll post who is in who's group, and which groups are prey and which are hunters."

As soon as she was finished and dismissed everyone to their clubs, I had to pack up quickly because the update had gone five minutes over the typical dismissal time. Once I was set, I slung my strap over my shoulder and stood up from my desk.

"So, Katherine, are you excited about the 'Fright Night'?" Tao asked.

"I guess," I answered. "I've never really been to one before."

"I heard that last year was the most terrifying ever," Tao spoke. "The Black Magic Club got involved, along with the Host Club, and scared all the first years."

"I just hope that we get to be the hunters first, so that we can get warmed up for being frightened."

Tao and I both giggled, and then I said "good-bye" to her, Yasuchika, and Satoshi, before heading out of the room. The Fright Night sounded like fun. Being spooked and jumping out of your skin was what Halloween was all about, right? For the older kids anyway. It was still "Candy Night" for the little ones.

Slipping out of the room, I made a mad dash down the corridors and straight to Music Room 3.

**~ . . * . . ~**

On the top floor of the south wing, at the end of the north hallway laid the abandoned music room, now the main room for Ouran Academy's Host Club. Once I reached the end of the hallway, I decreased my speed to a walking pace so that I could catch my breath. I stopped in front of the door to take a deep breath and then release it before turning the handle and pushing the door open.

Like always, I was greeted with the swirling flowers and the bright light, which dimmed as the hosts chorused their usual "Welcome".

"K.C., you've finally arrived," Tamaki spoke, with that charming smile.

"Sorry I'm late, senpai," I answered, stepping into the room. "The class representative had an announcement, and it ran five minutes over."

"That's quite all right, my dear," the president spoke.

"Well, I guess I'd better get to work," I spoke, walking towards the kitchen at the back of the room. "See you later, Tamaki, Haruhi, Hikaru, Kaoru, Hunny, Mori." I paused as I passed by the Shadow King, who only stared down in his black book, writing notes. Of course, I stared straight ahead, not making eye contact. "Ootori-senpai."

"Johnson-san," he responded blandly.

The remaining six hosts grew quite as the clubroom became tense once again. You know, after a month, you would think that the hosts would get used to it, but I guess not. After what occurred back in September, Kyoya and I weren't on good terms with each other, which is why we only addressed each other by our last names, including the honorifics. No one said a word about the tense atmosphere between us, and I continued on until I reached the kitchen, ready to begin work.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Club hours ran at the speed they normally took; of course, I couldn't help but feel like I was working three times as hard as I normally did. I found myself rushing around the kitchen, pulling out the pastries and decorating them in what felt like light speed! I've never felt so rushed to do bake and decorate so many pastries at one time; however, Kyoya did pile more work on me after missing out on my duty for the last three days of the first term.

Now that I look back on that day, it was silly to avoid everyone because of what Kimiko and her lackey did. Not showing up for school just showed her that she won. I just prayed that she didn't have anything in mind for me this term; besides, Kyoya and I were through, so she could have him all to herself.

Well, I take that back. Kyoya and I were never together from the start, so we couldn't necessarily "be through". I would never want to be with a heartless jerk that cared about nothing but what benefits him. And to think that I was beginning to fall in love with him too . . . Well, I was sadly mistaken. I don't think that anyone in their right mind would want to be with such a cold, selfish person.

By the end of the afternoon, I rested my arms on top of the sugar-coated counter, thoroughly exhausted from a hard afternoon's work. After working twice as hard as I typically worked during club hours, I felt like passing out right there on the floor.

"K.C.?" I voice asked from the doorway.

I knew it couldn't have possibly been Kyoya because one, he would've addressed me by my last name, and two, this person had a soft melodic voice like an angel. Lifting my head up, I turned to where I heard the voice to discover that it was the blonde, prince-type.

"Oh, hey, senpai," I spoke, standing up. "I was just getting ready to clean up before I left."

"Would you mind if I helped you?" the president inquired, stepping into the kitchen.

I stared at him puzzled at why he would offer. "Are you sure? I mean, don't you need to be heading home by now?"

"I don't mind," Tamaki spoke with that charming smile. "My father will be at the school for a while anyway. He's the chairman."

Tamaki did have a point there. I remember first meeting Chairman Suoh during orientation, but it was strange how Tamaki was much different from his father. His father had dark hair, while his son had blonde. Maybe Tamaki took more after his mother.

I gazed around the room unsure of what to say. It was kind of Tamaki to offer to help me, but I didn't want him to feel obligated or sorry for me. When I turned back to face him, however, I found that his face was mere inches away from mine. Apparently, he was trying to use his host-charms on me; and even though they didn't work, I still smiled and played along with it.

"I'd like that, senpai," I answered.

"Then let's clean like the commoners!" he exclaimed joyfully, standing up straight and jabbing his finger in the air.

_'Clean like the commoners'?_ I repeated in my mind. Despite his jovial comment, I grinned. Tamaki may be annoying at times with his babbling about "the common folk", but you have to admit that its amusing to watch him as he engages himself in "the commoner's ways".

"Well, you might want to roll up your sleeves before you get started, senpai," I spoke. "You don't want to ruin your uniform."

Tamaki did as bidden, and then I handed him a soaked washcloth as we began scrubbing away the flour and icing from the countertop. We didn't chat much, mainly since there was nothing to talk about.

However, the Host Club's president did speak up after a few moments. "Is anything bothering you, K.C.?"

"Not that I know of," I answered. "I mean, classes are sometimes stressful, but that's it."

"I can understand that," Tamaki remarked. "But, that's not what I mean."

I stopped scrubbing and stared up at him. The Host Club "king" didn't turn to face me; instead, he continued to scrub away the icing remains from the countertop. What was he talking about? There was nothing that I knew of at the moment, so why would Tamaki think that something was bothering me.

"What _do_ you mean, senpai?" I questioned.

"You just haven't been yourself for the past few weeks," the club president answered.

Then, I understood what he was talking about. Obviously he was concerned about my behavior around Kyoya. I couldn't explain to him what occurred; besides, it was over a month ago.

"Ootori-san and I just aren't on good terms with each other," I answered.

"Did something happen between you two?" Tamaki inquired, stopping his work and facing me.

I stared into his deep, sapphire-blue eyes as I tried to find the words to explain it to him. I didn't want to worry Tamaki about what happened when Kyoya broke my bracelet for self-benefits. Besides, the two of them were best friends, from what I heard at least, so I didn't want "Daddy" to fight with "Mommy" about something so frivolous.

"What does it matter?" I inquired, cleaning off the counter. "It occurred over a month ago."

"Katherine," Tamaki spoke gently, placing his hand over mine.

I froze in place, but my eyes didn't meet his. I understood that the club president was trying to help, but I didn't want to speak one word of it, especially since I had to deal with it myself. It was a situation between Kyoya and me alone, and I didn't feel that it was necessary to pull anyone else into our dispute.

"You obviously don't understand the main purpose of the Host Club," he added.

Confused, I glanced up at him. The main purpose was to entertain ladies, and ease them to forget their stressful school day, right? Did Tamaki mean to say that there was more to it? I couldn't quite discern what _more_ the club would be about.

"The Host Club was not only established to _entertain_ young ladies," he added. Then, he took his hand off of mine and placed it under my chin, turning my head to face him. Once our eyes met, a warm smile spread across his face as he gazed down at me. "But, to make every girl happy. That includes you, Katherine-hime."

I blushed at the honorific, but then I quickly shook it off and backed away. "But, senpai, I'm not a guest. I _work_ for the club."

"That may be true," Tamaki spoke, leaning forward with his free hand propping himself up, "but you are still a young lady."

I continued to gaze up at him, puzzled; but then, realization struck me. Even if the young women were _not_ in the club, the hosts still felt the need to take care of them and help them through their situation.

"I appreciate your concern, Tamaki-senpai," I spoke, as I took his hand from my chin and then releasing it. "But, I need to get through this on my own." Then, I half-smiled. "You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine."

Tamaki stared down at me, still concerned, but eventually he nodded with a smile as well. Then, we continued to clean off the counter and scrub the dishes. It was nice of him to be concerned about me, but if I were to ever to let go of what occurred back in September, I needed to do it on my own. I didn't want any trouble to come between Kyoya and Tamaki.

After double checking to make sure that the kitchen was clean as a whistle, I sighed with relief, knowing that I could now head back to my apartment and begin my homework.

"Thanks for helping out, senpai," I spoke, untying the apron and hanging it up.

"No problem, my dear," he spoke in his typical charming manner. "It was the least I could do, seeing how you worked yourself to the edge."

"Not that," I interjected. "I mean . . . Well, yeah, _that_, but I'm actually talking about what you told me. When I first met you, senpai, I thought that you were just one of those players that try to get the ladies to eat out of the palm of your hand, and then I realized that you can be a little goofy and . . . well, sometimes a spaz . . ."

At that moment, Tamaki flinched and paled; and before I could say anything else, the Host Club president was huddled in a corner in the kitchen. I stared at him as he sat on the cold, tiled floor, drawing imaginary circles on the floor with his finger. Great, now it was a replay of week one back in the cafeteria . . . Well, I wasn't quite through with explaining myself to Tamaki.

"Ah . . . gomen nasai, senpai," I apologized. "I didn't mean to burst your self-esteem bubble; of course, you didn't let me finish."

Tamaki unbound himself somewhat, and gazed up at me expectantly. I smiled at his eager, child-likeness, and then I sat on my knees behind him.

"You may seem to be a bit clueless, or dense, or even reckless at times, while at other times you're an overdramatic prince who loves to please the women," I began again. "But, I see that deep down you're really a kind-hearted person, and you just want to help everyone turn their frowns upside down."

The club president's eyes widened as his smile spread from ear to ear; and I know I should've seen this coming, because in a flash, Tamaki held me in a tight embrace squealing like a little child who just received a puppy for Christmas.

"You mean it Katherine? Ah! My little girl loves me!" he shrieked. "You and Haruhi both are the greatest daughters in the whole wide world!"

"Senpai, please . . . let me go," I managed to speak. "I can't . . . breathe . . ."

Tamaki did as bidden, and I took in a deep breath of air and then released it before glancing back up at him. Yes, "the king" could be a handful at time, but you have to admit that once you get to know him, he's a kind and understanding person.

After a moment of silence, Tamaki sighed. "Well, I best be on my way."

He offered his hand to me, and I gladly accepted it. As he helped me onto my feet, I accidentally stepped on the skirt of my dress and began to fall forward; however, Tamaki caught me in his arms. I blushed as we gazed into each other's eyes, sapphire meeting ocean blue.

"Are you all right, Katherine-hime?" he inquired in that prince charming voice.

I blushed even more. "I . . . I'm fine, senpai. Thanks."

After that, Tamaki helped me stand back on my feet, and I was wary to make sure that I didn't trip again.

Suddenly, there was a shriek from the clubroom, and Tamaki and I turned our attention towards it. We both raced out of the kitchen only to find a giant net hanging from the ceiling with the twins struggling to get out of it, while all the hosts stared at them confused, except for Kyoya and Mori of course. Beneath them was my camera along with my messenger bag, and I smirked knowing that my plan had worked.

Yes, I had set up the trap that I had drawn out in my notebook, except instead of a trip-wire, there was a motion sensor installed in the wall by the net. Obviously, Hikaru and Kaoru wanted to waste more of my memory card, but I was sure that after this they wouldn't dare take a step toward my bag.

"Let us outta here!" they cried in unison.

"I don't know," I spoke, striding up to them. "I think you two should hang around the clubroom for a while longer."

The twins scowled at me, mainly because of my corny joke; however, I only grinned and snatched my bag from underneath them, pocketing my camera in the side pouch. Shouldering the satchel, I walked around the net and towards the door humming a little tune. "See you all tomorrow!"

"Wait, K.C.! Let us out," Hikaru whined.

"We weren't going to mess with your camera or anything," Kaoru added.

"Oh?" I inquired, turning to them. "That's funny. Because if you weren't, you two wouldn't be dangling from the ceiling."

"Well, maybe we were going to play around with it for a little," they answered. "But, we promise never to mess in your stuff without your permission."

I grinned as I walked back up to the two of them, with a raised eyebrow. "You promise?"

The two nodded, and then held out their hands with their pinkies extended. "We promise."

Of course, I couldn't trust the terrible-twosome entirely, so I narrowed my eyes and glared at the two of them. "If I catch you two messing with any of my stuff again, there will be worse consequences. Understand?"

Hikaru and Kaoru both paled at what I said, and quickly nodded in agreement.

Relaxing my tense expression, I grinned. "Good."

Then, I hooked my pinkie with both of theirs. After we released each other, I pulled out a remote control from my satchel and pressed the button in the center. In a split second, the net was detached from the ceiling, and the twins gave a shriek from the force of gravity.

_THUD!_

I smirked as I stood over the two of them, Hikaru on top of his brother in a crisscross style. The two moaned in pain as Hikaru slowly sat up on his knees, allowing his brother to sit up as well. It served them right for messing with my personal stuff. It was a good thing I left my journal back at my apartment!

Once the twins were well enough to stand, I faced each of the hosts. Kyoya had already retreated to a table to work on his laptop, but I didn't bother to gaze at him. After bidding everyone farewell, I walked through the clubroom, and I made it to the door before I was halted by the Otori boy. I was still waiting for Kyoya's apology; but after a whole month, it was just the typical greeting towards each other. Not even the slightest "Gomen". Well, if he wasn't sorry for what he did, then that was fine by me.

Strolling down the long hallway, I began to contemplate over the busy month ahead. Starting next week I would be busy helping my classmates with planning how the north wing of the building would be decorated for our "Fright Night". Since Haruhi and the twins were the previous first-years, maybe I could ask them for some ideas and then tweak them to make them twice as better. It's not that I wanted to best my three good friends. I just wanted it to be a night to remember.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as I walked into my apartment, I dropped my satchel on the sofa and walked into the kitchen to prepare my supper. Thursdays were the second most exhausting days of the week. It was probably because I was more prepared to relax for the weekend, but stressed out trying to organize my homework together. Once Friday would come around, I could barely keep my head up and stay awake! Well, the autumn temperature can make anyone drowsy.

I wasn't _that_ hungry, so I decided to prepare myself a bowl of soup. Stirring the broth around with my spoon, I gazed down at my reflection, and then my mind traveled back to all the times I spent with Kyoya, the terrible ones, but also the great ones. I thought that he was interested in me, especially when he kissed me; but then, I assumed that he was just trying to make me fall for him, just so he could use me for his own benefit. Besides, after the event back in September, I doubted that he had a fondness for me.

A single tear streaked down my face, plopping into the soup. Sighing, I proceeded to sip the warm broth. What would a rich heir like him benefit from a mere commoner like me anyway? Besides, I wasn't as beautiful as the other girls. To them, I was just a scrawny, frizzy-haired teen from America, who was just lucky enough to obtain a scholarship to an elite, private school halfway across the globe. Well, I was thankful for what I already had a loving older brother, and a home to go back to once my year here at Ouran was up.

It was difficult to believe that the first half of the second term was nearly over. Just five more months then I'd be back home with Joseph in America, attending my typical online courses. The first term sure flew by quickly, and I would miss each and every one of the friends I've made here at the Academy.

Once I was finished with "supper". I rinsed the bowl in the sink before grabbing my satchel and striding towards my room. After finishing up my homework and preparing myself for bed, I lay on my back on the mattress gazing up at the ceiling. _Wonder what Fright Night would be like_. I pondered to myself. _The hunters would probably dress up in some corny costumes to go with the corny decorations. Well, Menami said that this year had to be more realistic than last year. Maybe I should ask Haruhi or the twins tomorrow about what their "Fright Night" was like. Was the Host Club involved, or did they have their own party?_

I sighed, and knowing I'd receive all of my answers tomorrow, I pulled down the sheets and then climbed into bed. As soon as I switched the lamp off, I nuzzled into the covers and closed my eyes, dreaming about scaring the snot out of the prey. I smirked as I pictured Satoshi swinging his kendo stick around and knocking one of the "monsters" in the head. Yep, that night was going to be an interesting one.

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**Ooooh wonder how everything will go . . . .**

**Yeah, I know this chapter was a little shorter than the others, sorry!**

**Okay, you guys, just a reminder: I have a poll on my profile for you guys to vote on which song you want to be in the next chapter. If you've never heard some of the songs I have posted, just youtube them or something. Anyways, happy voting! Oh, BTW the poll ends on Saturday!**

**Replies to reviews from last chapter (7! OMGeezers! the most I've ever had!):**

**Aurora-16: Yays! you were the first reviewer! Sorry . . . I wanted to post it so badly! I'll be sure to post them in the afternoons from now on! Unless it's Saturday of course! Yeah, if there's a lot on my mind for a chapter, then the chapter's gunna be loooong. Yeah, he can be a huge jerk at times. Yes the twins are sweethearts ~3, no matter how much of a pain they can be at times XD. Yays! Skittles!**

**Me and Gaara 4ever: Yeah, I like to make my OC's suffer. LOL not really.**

**Takara Rose Oizumi: Thanks! Kyoya can be heartless at times . . .**

**Niikii95: Thanks! I'm trying to post each chapter weekly!**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: Yes, it was a very very very LOOOONG chapter. Thanks!**

**royal nekochan: No problem. Yes he can be super mean at times X(. Haha! Yeah.**

**AllyraMortlock: Awww Thanks!**

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**RANDOM THOUGHT!**

**Anyone ever notice how "lol" looks like a dude drowning?**


	23. Realizations and Understandings

**Hey everyone!**

**Okay, so the results of the poll are in! And the song is . . . by one point . . . "Wouldn't Change a Thing". All right, thanks for voting everyone!**

**All right, now that that's outta the way, let's get on with the story!**

**WARNING!: If you get easily scared, DO NOT read the twin's "ghost story". I stink at making up ghost stories, but I nearly scared myself writing it . . . So, DO NOT read that part if you are easily scared, especially at night.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club. The hosts and other characters rightfully belong to the wonderfully talented Bisco Hatori.**

**Claimer: I own all of my OC's! :D**

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**~ Chapter 23 ~**

**Realizations and Understandings**

A week had already flown by. The trees continued to stand out with their radiant array of colors, while the temperature gradually decreased day by day. Autumn was at its peak with collections of leaves lying about on the ground, and soon the branches of the trees would be stripped clean as winter settled in. Everything seemed to look as if it were dying with the dull, cold atmosphere; nonetheless, the beauty of the season was still hanging around for as long as it could.

That week, every one of the students in Class 1-A spent their break time from class decorating the halls of the Northern Wing of the building with eerie skeletons slouched against the windowsill, and spider webs crafted from strings and nets were draped in corners and sections of the wall.

"A little more to the left," Menami ordered one of the students, who was balanced on top of a ladder, trying to set a stabbed zombie on the wall. "Now a little higher- No, too much. Go, lower! Now, to the right . . . Dang it, Sasaki! Do I have to come up there and do it myself?"

"Oniko-san sure is into this whole 'Fright Night' ordeal," Tao remarked as we observed the class rep squabble with the vice rep.

"Well, it's kinda like Christmas, you know," I answered, dripping some fake blood on one of the zombies. "When a holiday is just around the corner, everyone gets pumped up."

Tao nodded in agreement, and then we both hoisted the dummy and strapped it by its wrists and ankles onto a giant wheel with knives pinned on it. Once we were finished, we stepped back to admire our handwork. I must admit that even though it was just a dummy, it looked like a real dead body that had fallen as a victim to the wheel of death.

Glancing over at Tao, I found that she was looking over the "dead body" worriedly, but I gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry he's not going to hurt you. He's dead anyway; plus, he can't get off of this thing."

With that, I grabbed one of the spokes on the rim of the wheel and pulled down while the limp body spun in a circular motion on the wheel. I stood back to admire the handiwork, while Tao continued to stare at the bloody body slowing down as it came to a stop. I pulled down on spokes again, only to readjust the wheel so that the body was upright, and the head sagged.

"You're not afraid of anything, are you, K.C.?" Tao inquired.

"What's there to be afraid of? Everything here is fake," I answered with a smile. "Besides, it's our imagination that makes everything seem real."

"But, what if we're the prey first?" my friend inquired. "The hunters will be real."

"The hunters, yes. But, remember, they'll just be dressed up in costumes, trying to scare us."

Of course, it was just daylight now, so it was obvious to tell that all the decorations were simply props. When nighttime would come around, the "props" would look realistic, transforming the north wing of the school into a haunted house (Or, haunted corridors at least . . .).

"Have you ever been frightened on Halloween?" Tao inquired.

"No," I answered. "I haven't even been to a haunted house either. I just grew up with trick-or-treating."

"Aren't you the least bit worried? I mean, it's your first time."

I shrugged, and then took out a net from the prop box. "A little. But, that's the best part." Then, I began to drape the net along the wall. "Besides, it's only for one night anyway, so I might as well make the best of it."

When I was finished hanging up the "spider web", I glanced over at Tao, who was gazing in the other direction. Further down the hall was Satoshi and Yasuchika hoisting a coffin onto a table. The two boys lifted the lid up, setting a zombie inside with the arm propping the lid up while the upper half of the body was draped over the edge of the coffin. From afar, it looked like a zombie awakening from its slumber, ready to climb out of its bed and walk through the halls.

"You haven't told him yet?" I inquired.

Tao jumped at the sudden remark and glanced up at me. As soon as the question process through her mind, she hung her head and shook it.

'"It's all right, Tao," I spoke. "Whenever you feel ready you can tell him. Just don't take too long, because if you do, you'll find that he belongs to another girl." The girl glanced up at me worriedly, and then I hesitated, realizing that I shouldn't have been so negative at the end. "I'm just saying that if you want something that badly, something that money _can't_ buy, you have to do whatever it takes to get it."

"But . . . but, I don't want to flat out ask if he likes me," Tao spoke.

True. The direct approach wasn't always the best idea. Then an idea dawned on me. "Well, you could start building a relationship."

Tao raised an eyebrow.

"You know, like talk to him every once in a while so that you guys can become friends," I rephrased. "Soon, you guys will become good friends, and then possibly best friends. After that, whenever you feel ready, you can tell him how you feel." I grinned. "It's better to get to know someone first anyway."

The dark-haired girl stared up at me, and then she smiled. "Thanks, K.C. You really know your stuff."

"No problem." Then, I glanced down the hall to find that Yasuchika left his cousin, most likely to retrieve more props. "In fact," I continued with a smirk, "I think you have an opportunity open right now."

Tao gazed in my direction, and then back to me. Of course, I only grinned and jerked my head, gesturing for her to go over and talk to Satoshi. As soon as she got the memo, Tao smiled and walked down the corridor. I watched as she slowed down at times to glance over her shoulder at me, but I would only wave my hand forward, telling her to go on. She stopped to take a deep breath and release it, and then began walking over to the younger Morinozuka. I smiled as I watched her strike up a conversation with him, and soon, the two were working together, decorating the hall.

"All right everyone," a voice called out. Everyone, including me, turned our attention towards our class representative as she continued: "It's time to head back to class. We'll work on decorating some more tomorrow."

We all nodded in agreement, and then we all began walking down the haunted corridors of the north wing. Butterflies began fluttering around in my stomach just looking around at all the zombies and spiders lounging around the halls. My first Fright Night. Would I end up as prey or hunter? Next week, we would all know. For now, I had to study for mid-term exams, and then I would think up plans for the Halloween event.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Lunch and afternoon classes came and went in a flash, and I soon found myself walking through the haunted north corridors and outside. Tamaki decided to take all the tea, coffee, and treats down to the courtyard so that "the guests could bask in the colorful beauty of autumn". Of course, that meant a day off for me. Since there was no kitchen outside to work and refill the treats, I prepared everything yesterday, so that the hosts could set everything up themselves; however, I still had to assist them with setting up the courtyard. Upon entering the courtyard, I found the hosts organizing the tea and pastries onto tables, as well as spreading out giant sheets of cloth on the ground. _Fall picnic maybe?_ I pondered.

"Hey, guys," I spoke, walking over to the group. "Anything I could help with?"

The club president glanced over his shoulder at me and smiled. "Oh, K.C., you're here. I think we have everything set up for the afternoon, so feel free to enjoy yourself."

I smiled. "Thanks, senpai." Then, I turned around. "I'll be back at the ending of hosting hours to help clean up."

After that, I began walking through the courtyard, and began to exit into the garden by the school. Well, at least I could have the afternoon all to myself. I would be free to explore out in the fresh air instead of being cooped up in the kitchen with the aroma of pastries taking over the oxygen..

That is, until I was stopped when two arms rested on my shoulders.

"So, we hear your class is holding a Fright Night," two voices spoke in unison.

I nearly jumped from being startled, but then I clamed myself, familiarizing the voices with their owners. "Yes, we are."

"Good luck trying to beat last year's," Hikaru remarked boastfully.

"Yeah, everyone ran home screaming," added Kaoru.

"Even you two?" I inquired with a smirk.

"No, we stayed until the end," they answered together.

I rolled my eyes. Something in my gut told me that that was a complete lie. The twins were obviously just trying to sound brave so that they wouldn't be known as the twin chickens.

"Well, this year we're using the same rules," I spoke. "Of course, we're setting up the entire north wing with decorations."

"We saw them," the brothers commented, rather bored. "They were okay."

"The Fright Night isn't a competition to out-do last year's. My class is just holding it because it's a Halloween event."

"Well, you'd better make it back alive," spoke Kaoru as he and his brother walked away to join the others.

"You don't want to run into Tamao Kuriwa," ended Hikaru.

"Tamao . . . who?" I inquired.

The twins stopped abruptly and there was silence for a few moments. "You don't know?" they inquired, turning back around.

"No, should I?" I answered.

"Yeah. Everyone knows about Tamao Kuriwa," the brothers replied, walking back up to me.

"So, what? Is he like the boogeyman of the school?"

"Somewhat."

"The story goes like this," Hikaru began. "Kuriwa-san used to be one of the groundskeepers here at Ouran."

"But one night, he noticed a dead tree that needed to be cut down," Kaoru continued, pointing towards the direction of the group of trees by the school. "So, he grabbed his chainsaw from the shed and headed deep into the woods by the courtyard."

"Once the tree had been chopped to pieces, he piled the branches together so that he would pick them up the next day," Hikaru added.

"But he never showed up," the brothers ended together.

"The staff found him the next day," Hikaru piped up.

"In a pile of leaves and the wood he chopped," Kaoru added.

"Dead," the brothers spoke together.

"They presumed that he had been assaulted by a trespasser on the way back to the school."

"His clothes were ripped, his arms were chopped off, and a butcher's knife was stabbed in his chest."

"His chainsaw lay by him with blood stains on the teeth, which most assume was how his arms were chopped off."

"They buried him out in the woods."

"And every evening, especially on a fall night, as you walk by, you can hear the crunching of leaves as he walks through the woods."

"_Crunch_."

"_Crunch_."

"_Crunch_."

"Some have even claimed to see his ghost, wielding his chainsaw."

"Using the limbs he chopped off as substitute arms."

"No one has ever dared to set foot in the woods ever since."

"But those who did lasted only a few minutes, listening to his footsteps as he approached them."

"You don't know what's coming until you hear him start up his chainsaw, and then -"

"WAAAAH! Stop it, you devil twins!" Tamaki shrieked. Then, the blonde host grabbed me and dragged me away from the brothers. "Don't you _dare _scare my daughter like that!"

"Relax, senpai, I'm not scared," I spoke, taking his arms off of me.

"You're not?" the three of them asked in unison.

"No," I answered. "The story's a bunch of bologna. Besides, who in their right mind would want to work after dark? He must've been tired, so if 'Tamoe', or whatever you called him, had any common sense, he would head home for the night. And, even if his _was_ a groundskeeper, none of us would encounter him since his 'ghost' is outside."

"Ah! My little girl is so brave!" Tamaki squealed, hugging me tightly and spinning around.

"Senpai . . ." I groaned. "Do we have to do _this_ every week? It's starting to get a little old."

In a flash, I found myself back on my feet, while Tamaki was huddled next to a tree with that gloomy aura surrounding him. I guess trees were his outdoor substitutes for his corner. I didn't intend to burst his bubble again, but the whole hugging thing was becoming a weekly thing for me.

"Look, Tamaki-senpai, I'm sorry," I spoke. "But, I'd really appreciate it if the spinning-and-hugging-thing was decreased to a minimum. Maybe every other week."

The host 'King' suddenly made a miraculous recovery from his Corner of Woe and joined the three of us once again. "Then I shall make a schedule!" he proclaimed, jabbing a finger in the air.

The twins and I stared at him as he raced off towards Kyoya, probably to ask if he can borrow one of his agendas or something. Hey, he always has a notebook around, so he probably has hundreds of calendars or something just lying around.

I sighed, and then I turned back to the twins. "Well, I'll see you guys at after hours."

"Be careful," they spoke in unison as I exited through the wrought iron gate and into the garden. "Don't run into Tamao Kuriwa!"

"I don't have to worry," I called back. "You guys said he only comes out during the evening!"

The twins gazed at me as I smirked. Once again, logical thinking prevails. Ghosts, zombies, and the boogeyman don't exist anyway. So, what was there to be afraid of?

As I ventured through the garden, I began to walk absentmindedly over to the sakura trees with the stone bench underneath them. Sitting underneath the sakura trees, which were now being deprived of their beautiful pink and white blooms, gave the perfect view of the garden. I placed my hand on the trunk of the trees as I gazed out at the landscaping, and then I sighed.

It had been over a month since I first sat on the stone bench. I could still vividly picture myself with my sketch pad, recreating the stunning image of the garden, only to be taken surprise by Kyoya, where he invited me to the Host Club for the afternoon. If I hadn't have ventured through the school and ended up in the wrong division, I probably would've never met him. Come to think of it, I probably would've never met the Host Club if he hadn't have invited me, which, in turn, would've never caused me to accidentally break his glasses. Well, that was my fault on that part.

Then, there was that time when I caught sight of Kyoya sitting on the same bench crunching numbers in his little notebook. After teasing him with his notes, he chased me into the hedge maze, which was where I strode off to next.

Standing at the entrance of the hedge maze brought back so many memories, both good and bad. The chilling autumn wind soon picked up making the crisp leaves flow down a pathway and then turn around the corner. I tilted my head in puzzlement. Leaves couldn't flow in a perfectly straight line without bumping into anything. Soon, however, I found myself following the path of the leaves as they flowed and turned corner after corner.

Eventually, they stopped at the gazebo at the back of the maze. Visions of the day where I led Kyoya into the maze came back to my mind, and I could vividly picture myself slowing down as I approached the structure to catch my breath. Afterwards, Kyoya caught me, and I accidentally tripped when I tried to turn and run, pulling him down on top of me. I think that that was the moment in my life where I realized that I was in love with Kyoya, but I was in denial about it until that fateful September night where I admitted my feelings to his slumbering body. Of course, it would be much more difficult to admit my feelings to him while he was awake, especially since we weren't on good terms with each other.

How I wanted us to be together so badly! Of course, hosts couldn't date girl out of the Host Club, could they? I mean, wouldn't it ruin their profits of one of their regular guests saw them holding hands with another girl?

I'll never forget the first time Kyoya laid his hand on mine. We were both reaching to pick up his glasses. Apparently, I had gotten to them first, but his hand seemed to linger on top of mine for a while instead of a few seconds before being quickly taken off. I assumed that Kyoya was hesitant during that time, so he wasn't sure what to do or say. Then, there was the time when we were both walking out of the school that night back in September. Sure, Kyoya only grabbed my hand to keep me from bumping into a table, but I wished it could've been for more than that.

Before abandoning the gazebo, a lavender colored object set on top of the stone table caught my attention. Curious, I walked over towards the structure and picked up the object to examine it more closely. It was a rose. A lavender rose to be exact. But, roses couldn't be lavender, could they? Roses were only red, white, or pink . . . right? Maybe this colored rose was a cross-breed or something like that. I didn't know what to do with it. I mean, it didn't belong to me. Well, a flower only lasts a while as it begins to wither away, so I might as well rescue it and place it in a vase with water when I got back to my apartment.

Setting the rose in a separate pocket in my satchel, I began to walk out of the hedge maze, passing through the section with the water fountain. If I hadn't allowed my heart to get ahead of me and believe that note was truly from Kyoya, I probably wouldn't have been cornered by Kimiko and her gang here. They ruined my dress, and I had to walk back to the apartment, soaked to the skin. Well, that was all in the past now, so I had to let that go. Kimiko probably had the night of her life with Kyoya. If I was there in his arms dancing the night away with him . . .

_Gah! Why can't I stop thinking about him?_ I pondered. _Kyoya Ootori is a cold, heartless businessman who only uses people for his own benefits. But, has he ever used me for anything? Well, since I worked for the club preparing their desserts, that probably took a whole chunk of cash out of the budget towards paying for pre-made desserts. I still can't wrap my head around why he kissed me back on that date. Maybe . . . maybe he was just trying to make me fall for him so that I would spend more time at the club; furthermore, gaining more profits for the club. If that was the case, then why did he ruin my bracelet? I just don't get it._

Sighing, I walked through the maze until I made it to the exit about five minutes later. As I walked back towards the school, I glanced over at the courtyard where the hosts were entertaining their guests. My gaze soon traveled to Kyoya, who was entertaining three ladies, one of which I recognized as Kimiko. I guessed that she was staying at the club for a while before heading over to the Stellar Club. Well, she could have him all to herself now.

**~ . . * . . ~**

During the rest of club hours, I spent time outside at the stone bench underneath the sakura trees, finishing up some homework. The wind would blow sometimes, brushing some notebook paper off the bench and onto the ground. Of course, I held it down with my text book as a substitute paper weight. As soon as I caught a glimpse at the last girl to leave the courtyard, I packed away everything into my bag and strode over to the courtyard.

I helped the hosts pack away everything they had brought down, and then assisted them with hauling it back up to the Third Music Room. As soon as I packed away the remaining slices of cake into the refrigerator, I picked up my bag, and checked to make sure that my camera was in there. It was, so I knew that the twins hadn't gotten it and played with it again. They haven't messed around in my bag since last week, so I guessed they learned their lesson.

As I made my way out of the kitchen, I glanced around to find that everyone was at their typical places doing their typical after club hours stuff. Hunny was munching on some cake with Mori watching over him protectively, Kyoya was working on his laptop, Tamaki was babbling on about something to Haruhi, who soon made some remark that sent Tamaki into his corner, and the twins . . . wait, where were those two? Curious, I searched around the clubroom for them only to find that they were missing in action.

"Hey, Haruhi," I began as I walked over to where she sat studying. "Where are Hikaru and Kaoru?"

"They went into the dressing rooms for something," she answered. "I'm not sure why, but they've been in there for a while. You might want to go check on them."

I nodded understandingly, and then I turned and walked over to the back of the clubroom. Setting my hand on the knob, I turned it and pushed it open, only to discover that the room was pitch dark. I could barely see the dressing stalls with the curtains draping in the doorway.

"Hello?" I called out steeping into the room. I kept the door open ajar so that some light filtered in. "Hikaru? Kaoru? Are you two in here?"

As I stepped further into the room, the door suddenly slammed shut, sending the room into a complete benightedness. I shrieked as I whirled around towards the door. Yes, it was closed, but how? I walked over to open it again; however, the knob wouldn't turn. I was locked in. Suddenly, there was a quick flow of air from behind me, and I whirled around to see what it was. Nothing. My heart began pounding in my chest as I swallowed hard, but I continued to tell myself that I had to be brave and it was all in my head, it was just my imagination taking over.

_Crunch_

I quickly turned towards the sound, but there was nothing there. not even a blurry figure in the darkness. Even though my eyes had adjusted already, there was still nothing in sight. What I couldn't understand was the crunching sound I heard. It sounded like leaves being stepped on or something. Then, realization hit me. The crunching of leaves being stepped on was from that lame ghost story the twins told me about, and who else would make that "story" come to life than the masters of mischief themselves.

"All right, twins," I spoke. "I know that you're behind this. So, cut it out. I don't believe in your stupid story."

Nothing. The twins didn't flip on the switch and whine 'No fair!', or anything like that. All was quiet, the room was still dark, so the twins weren't going to throw in the towel just yet. Why would they? Those two would keep any game going until they won.

"So . . . you don't believe?" an eerie voice spoke from the darkness.

I jumped as chills ran down my spine. "S-stop f-f-fooling around, Hikaru a-and Kaoru."

"Who's this 'Hikaru' and 'Kaoru' you speak of?" the voice inquired. "The only one here is me."

My breathing quickened as I backed up against the wall. My eyes quickly scanned the room for any sight of the twins or whoever the voice belonged to. The voice, for sure, belonged to neither of the twins, so was I really being haunted. No. I couldn't be. Ghosts didn't exist. It was just my imagination taking control again.

I swallowed hard. "W-who's 'me'?"

"Tamao Kuriwa of course," the voice answered.

Right after that, there was the ripping sound of a cord as the motor of a chainsaw echoed through the room. There was a flash of light through the room as a shadowy figure with stick-like arms stood in the middle of the room, wielding a chainsaw. As the lights flickered on, the figure grew larger, the closer it approached me. An ominous cackle reverberated through the dressing room as the figure raised his chainsaw. Real or not, I had to get away from it!

Quickly darting at full speed, I ran into one of the changing stalls and huddled in the corner trembling with fear. I could hear my heartbeat ringing in my ears, but I took a few deep breaths to slow it down so that I could listen for the monster, if it came closer to me again. Soon, my ears perked up and I held my breath as the crunching noise grew louder as it approached the dressing stalls. I heard the drapes open as the monster searched the stalls for me, as soon as I saw his shadowy feet underneath the curtains, my body tensed, and then the curtain was swung open revealing the monster.

"Now I have you, my pretty," he cackled as he approached me.

I buried my head into my knees as he stepped closer to me, and I held my breath as I sensed his presence next to me. Why was I so afraid? This had to be some kind of trick, but I just couldn't force myself up to my feet and confront the "monster".

"Don't worry, sweetheart," the figure spoke mockingly from above me. "This'll only hurt for a second."

Then, I heard the ripping of the chainsaw, and I shrieked as I felt a gush of air flow by me as the chainsaw was lifted. I mentally begged to be let free, but I couldn't force the actual words out of my mouth.

The figure began cackling an evil laugh; but suddenly, the menacing laughter morphed into a pair of chuckles. I relaxed somewhat, and then glanced up. The lights flickered on, and I shielded my eyes from the brightness. As soon as they adjusted, I looked up at the figure, and then narrowed my eyes to slits as I glared up at him.

"Hikaru Hitachiin!" I shouted as I stood up.

I grabbed him by the muddy jumpsuit collar and pinned him to the wall. You bet I was livid! The twins make up some story and nearly gave me a heart-attack! And they thought that they could get away with it too!

"What do you think you're doing?" I hissed through gritted teeth.

"Only . . . only trying to . . . have some pre-Halloween . . . f-frights," he replied, through bursts of laughter.

"A-and the best part . . . I got it all on camera!" his twin added, from the opening of the stall.

I glared over at him, and then dragged Hikaru by the collar of the jumpsuit out into the middle of the room. "You two are so going to pay for this!" I shouted at the two of them. Then I turned my attention to Kaoru, who was still holding the camera. "Is that thing still recording?"

Kaoru pursed his lips together, trying to contain another laugh, and shook his head. Of course, I didn't believe him and dove towards him, trying to snatch the video camera. Of course, like a month ago, he held it high above me, making me jump for it, while Hikaru began another laughing fit. I was tired of the twins frivolous games, and I pondered why in the world I even came here in the first place.

"What's going on in here?" a monotone voice spoke from the doorway.

The three of us turned our attention towards the direction of the voice to find the rest of the hosts staring at us, expecting an explanation. The one who had spoken up was Kyoya, who looked more irritated than ever.

"What would give you guys the idea of something going on?" the twins asked innocently.

"Well, Hikaru is dressed in a muddy jumpsuit with sticks taped to his arms, and is holding a tooth-less chainsaw," Haruhi replied blandly. "Plus, Kaoru's got a video camera."

"No harm was done," they spoke together.

"We heard a scream," Kyoya spoke, "and I doubt that it came from either of you two."

The twins glanced at each other worriedly, probably wondering how they were going to get out of this pickle when the evidence was obvious. The three of us gazed from each other and then over to the host club.

"You two shady twins weren't doing anything perverted in here were you?" Tamaki asked sternly.

"Ewww! No way!" I spoke, waving my arms in front of me. "Hikaru and Kaoru was just trying to scare me."

"Which we succeeded," the twins remarked, high-fiving each other.

"I thought I told you two not to scare my little girl!" Tamaki shouted, grabbing me and pulling me away from the twins.

"I _wasn't_ scared," I spoke, taking Tamaki's arms from around me.

"Yes you were," Hikaru answered.

"We have the evidence to prove it," Kaoru added.

"I was _startled_ not _scared_," I spoke. "There's a difference. Look it up."

"Whatever," the twins shrugged.

"You two are going to pay for this!" Tamaki cried, pointing an accusing finger at the two troublemakers.

"Senpai, relax," I spoke. "No harm, no foul. I'm fine, so let's just get on with the rest of the day."

Tamaki gazed down at my sternly and then back up at the twins, who just glanced around with a bored expression. The club president sighed and lowered his hand. "All right, everyone back into the clubroom."

The hosts did as bidden, and then filed out the door, except for Hikaru and Kyoya. The oldest Hitachiin twin entered one of the dressing stalls to change out of his "costume" while Kyoya stood in the doorway watching the others as they left.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

His voice startled me. I was _not_ expecting him to talk to me. We weren't on good terms with each other, right?

"Yeah, I'm fine, Ootori-senpai," I answered, readjusting the strap of my bag over my shoulder.

"Good," he spoke. "Now, question. Can you leave your last class a few minutes early tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure. Why?"

"We need to set up the clubroom for our cosplay."

_Oh, right. The club hasn't had a cosplay this week yet . . . _"Sure. I can leave early, senpai."

"Excellent," he spoke, adjusting his glasses. "There will be a lot of decorating to be done, so I suggest that you leave fifteen minutes or so earlier. No trouble for you, Johnson-san?"

"Nope, no trouble at all, senpai."

He flashed that grin he always had when things were going according to plan for him, and I managed to plaster on a fake smile to keep my annoyance from showing. It seemed to be working, because Kyoya didn't make a single remark about it. Being the gentleman, Kyoya allowed me to exit the room first, before he did and closed the door behind him. I said my good-byes to everyone, telling them that I was heading back to my apartment, as I walked across the room and towards the door.

Once I entered the hallway, pulling the door closed behind me, I sighed. I may have not worked that day, but I felt exhausted, especially after being the victim of one of the twin's pranks. Adjusting the strap of my bag on my shoulder, I began my walk down the hall and towards the front of the school.

"So, hanging out with the Host Club again?" a voice spoke to my right as an arm was placed on my shoulder.

"You weren't even there during hosting hours, but you still end up coming out of the clubroom," another voice spoke as another arm rested on my free shoulder.

I glanced over at whoever was speaking to me, only to find Ochira on my left and Momoka on my right. Great . . . when these two were around, that meant Kimiko was close by. I didn't want to deal with her now; in fact, I didn't want to deal with anyone. I just wanted to head home and finish up the last bit of homework I had and go to bed.

"Do you like to spend the entire afternoon the room or something?" Ochira inquired.

"No," I answered. "The hosts looked like they needed help bringing everything from the courtyard up to the music room."

"If that was the case," Momoka spoke, "you would've been out of the room earlier."

"So what _were_ you doing in there?" Ochira inquired slyly.

"Probably chatting and making out with _my _Kyoya-kun," a voice spoke as a figure stepped around the corner and stood in front of us.

The three of us stopped, and glanced up to find none other than Kimiko, with her arms folded across her chest. (See! I told you she'd be close by!). Ochira and Momoka took their arms off of me and then walked over to their leader, taking their places on either side of her.

"What are you talking about, Kimiko-san?" I asked.

"You know well what I'm talking about," she answered. Then, she walked forward and circled me like a hawk circling its prey. "There's a rumor going around that you and Kyoya are a couple."

I scoffed. "Well, that's all wrong. There's no way I'd fall for such a heartless, conceited person like him."

"Then explain why he gave you a kiss when he asked _you_ to the dance."

"He's a host, isn't he? That's what he does: charm the ladies."

"True. But, only Tamaki 'charms the ladies' like _that_."

"Well, he was probably trying to make me fall for him."

"Did you?"

I stared at her as she stopped in front of me. I didn't know how to answer that. It was true that I _did_, but the moment I had begun to realize that I had fallen in love with him, Kyoya ruins my bracelet. Shaking of the moment, I sighed and began to walk forward.

"I really don't have time for this," I spoke, brushing in between Ochira and Momoka.

Suddenly, as soon as I made it through, the two girls turned around and grabbed my arms, holding me in place. As much as I wanted to drag them down the hall with me, I knew I couldn't. Three against one was an obvious blow-out for who would win; and besides, I didn't want to create a scene in the school.

"You didn't answer my question," Kimiko spoke, as she walked around her lackeys and stood in front of me.

I sighed. "If I do, can I leave?"

"Sure," Kimiko answered with a mocking smile.

"Yes, I did fall for Ootori-san, but it was the biggest mistake of my life." I glanced from Momoka to Ochira, who then released me. Once I was free, I stood in front of Kimiko and looked up at her. "He's all yours."

After that, I walked around Kimiko and down the hallway. I didn't want to deal with her. She could be very manipulative when it came to people's feelings, and take what they say and bend the truth. Seriously, she could become a great politician if she kept _that_ up!

"You sure?" she called after me. "It seems like you still want him."

I stopped in my tracks, but didn't turn to her. Did I want him? I wasn't sure for myself. Kyoya ruined my treasure bracelet, one of the very few gifts I received in my entire life that actually meant something to me. But, did part of me still want him?

"Kimiko-san," I spoke, facing to her. "You said that if I answered your question, you'd allow me to go home. I answered it, so, if you three don't mind, I'm leaving now."

With that, I turned back around and began walking down the hall. Neither of the girls decided to stop me this time, so they were probably letting me be. Thank goodness! Now, all I had to worry about was all the incomplete assignments I had to finish for school the next day. After that, I would get some much needed rest.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I sat on my bed, reading over the science lesson for the week. I didn't do so well on the last pop quiz, so I had to be sure I knew my material, just in case my teacher would set another quiz paper on my desk. Making flash cards of the bold letters was fairly easy, but studying them was the most difficult part, since I nearly nodded off every time my mind wandered off into dreamland.

As my eyes began to sag from staring at my handwriting on the paper, my cell phone began to ring, making me jump. Reaching into the pocket of my satchel, I pulled out my phone and examined the caller ID, whose number I didn't recognize. Well, if it was a wrong number, I might as well let them know.

Pressing the 'Talk' button, I placed the receiver to my ear. "Hello?"

"_Are you busy with homework, Johnson-san?_" a monotone voice answered. "_Maybe you should study in the daytime when you have more energy_."

_And maybe __**you**__ should fall in a hole_, I added in my mind. Why in the world was Kyoya calling me this late at night? Well, he was a genius, so he probably finished his work up over an hour ago. One important question soon appeared in my mind, though.

"Do I _want _to know how you got my phone number, Ootori-san?" I inquired.

I heard Kyoya chuckle ever so slightly on the other end. "_Probably not; but since the twins, Haruhi, and everyone else knew your number, I might as well also just in case_."

_'Just in case' what? Your family goes bankrupt and you need to crawl back to me like a snake in the grass?_ I pondered. "Let's cut the small talk. You obviously want something important if you're calling."

"_You catch on to things quickly, don't you Johnson-san_?_ Well you are correct. There was one thing I forgot to mention back at the club, but you left before I could say anything."_

"Okay, so what is it?"

_"You're going to be very busy in the kitchen, Johnson-san. Tomorrow's cosplay is a Renaissance cosplay, and Tamaki has decided to hold a 'royal banquet'."_

I nearly dropped the phone and passed out. _You have got to be kidding me . . ._

I sighed. "Thanks for the heads up, Ootori-san. I'll be sure to be there."

Then, I pressed the red button and set the phone down on the bed. Great, the 'King' wanted to host a banquet for his guests, and based on what I learned in history books about royal banquets, there was lots, and lots, and lots of food on the table. Well, it was a good thing Kyoya told me in advance so that I would be prepared.

My phone began ringing again, and I picked it up and examined the caller ID. Kyoya. "Yes?"

"_Don't you know it's rude to hang up on people_?" he inquired rather arrogantly.

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry. What else did you want to say?"

"_We have another guest whose birthday is tomorrow. I've ordered the flower arrangements in advance; so tomorrow morning, could you pick those up on the way to school?_"

I knew that this was one of his questions where 'No' wasn't an option. "Sure, I'll bring them up to the music room."

"_Excellent_."

There was a moment of silence. "So, is there anything else you want to say before I hang up?"

"_No. Good-night, Johnson-san_."

"Yeah. Night."

After that, we both hung up. I sighed and plopped down on my back on the mattress, rubbing my face with my hands. Tomorrow was going to be a long day . . . I'd have to wake up early and get ready for school in order to pick up the flower arrangements and get to school on time. And in the afternoon, I'd be preparing some medieval feast for the "King". Well, hopefully this would be the last time i have to work more than I typically would.

Before I could go back to studying, my phone began to ring again. I growled under my breath as I pressed the talk button and set the receiver against my ear.

"Darn it, Ootori! Stop calling me!" I yelled.

"_Hello to you too, K.C._" a female voice spoke on the other end.

I gasped realizing who it was, and then I sat up. "Kenzie," I spoke in English. "Sorry, about that."

"_It's fine, kiddo_," she answered. "_I don't understand Japanese, but you sounded pretty ticked off_."

"It's nothing. Ootori-san's just driving me up the wall."

"_Who_?"

"Kyoya."

"_Oh, the one who asked you to the dance?_"

"Yeah."

_"So, you guys broke up again."_

"Kenzie, we were never together from the beginning."

_"Well, you seem like you were."_

I sighed. "No, we weren't. We were barely friends then, and we're barely friends now."

"_Something tells me that he's driving you crazy because he likes you."_

I blushed at the thought, but then shook it off. "Ootori always drives me crazy. I don't think he's that into me."

"_O-kay. Whatever you say, K.C."_

"Seriously, Kenzie. He's rich, I'm not."

_"Whatevs. Anyway you're probably stressed out, right?"_

"A little."

_"All right, I'll let you go, K.C."_

"Thanks, Kenzie. Tell Joe I said 'Hey', and I'll call him this weekend."

_"Will do."_

After we hung up on each other, I placed my phone back in the pocket of my satchel and sighed. Well, after tomorrow, everything would be easier . . . hopefully. Turning back to my notes, I quizzed myself through one round of flashcards before packing everything away and climbing into bed for the night.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Gah! I don't know how much more I can take of him!" I shouted.

Haruhi and I were both walking to school together, hauling the packs of flower arrangements in open boxes. The female host had offered to assist me while on our way to the Academy, which I was really thankful, and it took a whole load off my shoulder.

"Is there something going on between you and Kyoya-senpai?" Haruhi asked, rather calmly. "You guys have been really distant towards each other lately."

"Aren't we always?"

"Well, yeah, but over the past month, you two have been acting cold towards one another."

I sighed. "Kyo . . . I mean, Ootori-san broke my charm bracelet."

"On purpose?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. He used it to pick the lock on those cuffs the twins used on us." I hung my head as my tone changed to dismay. "He didn't even care. He doesn't know how much it means to me."

"Well, he always acts heartless. I mean, he's got a long way to go in order to inherit his family's business."

"I don't see why his father can't just give it to him. I mean, Ootori-senpai works his butt off all the time."

Haruhi then stopped on the sidewalk. "You don't know, do you?"

I stopped and turned to her. "Know what?"

"Kyoya-senpai's father can't give him the inheritance unless he proves himself. Kyoya's the third son. He's got two older brothers to surpass."

My eyes widened as I stared at her, and then I hung my head. Now it all made sense. Kyoya only worked himself to the edge because he wanted to prove to his father that he could be more than just a third son. Which made me think back to what his father said. Kyoya had to give 110% this year and let nothing stand in his way. Did that include relationships and emotional distractions? I blushed at the thought because if that was the case, then maybe, just maybe, he really _did_ care.

"I . . . I didn't know," I spoke. Then, I glanced up at Haruhi and smiled. "But, it all makes sense to me now."

The female host smiled, and then we both began walking down the sidewalk towards the Academy. I couldn't stay mad at Kyoya for ruining my bracelet. He didn't understand what a close relationship with a sibling felt like because he had a rivalry between him and his brothers, so that would explain why he treated my trinket as "just a bracelet".

**~ . . * . . ~**

Classes flew by quickly, and thank goodness there wasn't a quiz for Science class! Soon, I found myself decorating the clubroom and preparing the food like I normally would every afternoon. This time, it was more than just desserts. There was tea, like always, but as for the food, there was: roast beef, stuffed turkey, and soups and salads. And for dessert, of course, cake.

Since the food was all that was needed to be prepared and served once, I just had to refill the tea whenever Haruhi came in with an empty kettle. It was fun to watch the banquet take place from the kitchen. Tamaki, apparently, was the King; Kyoya, the squire; the twins, the court jesters; Mori and Hunny were guards; and Haruhi was the servant, obviously. I must admit that it was amusing to watch the twins entertain all the guests with dancing and juggling, which they failed miserably. Either they failed or Kaoru meant to let the ball drop on his head, causing him pain and then be comforted by his brother. Something told me it was the last option.

As soon as club hours were through, I helped the hosts clear the tables and scrub the dishes clean. Afterwards, I checked to make sure the kitchen was spotless, the ovens were turned off, and the leftover cake and such was stored away in the refrigerator. Once everything was clear, I shouldered my messenger bag and walked out of the kitchen and out the door. Hikaru and Kaoru were arguing with the Tamaki, probably something about Haruhi again, and Mori and Hunny had already left.

Kyoya was nowhere to be seen, though. I wanted to tell him that I was sorry about everything that happened back in September, and I wanted to be on good terms with him again. Well, he was probably busy wherever he was.

Releasing a deep breath, I walked out of the room, saying good-bye to everyone, gaining only a response from Haruhi since the three boys were still squabbling. After exiting the clubroom, I walked down the hall and headed towards the front of the school, praying not to be stopped by Kimiko and her followers again. Soon, I came across Music Room 2, the same music room that I walked into where Tamaki and I played piano together. I glanced around, making sure the coast was clear, before entering.

The door was open, and there was no one in the room. The instruments were in their sections the last time I saw them, but my main focus was on the piano in the midst of the spacious room. Stepping into the room, I walked over to the piano, setting my bag down by the stool. One thing that's become a habit of mine is that I sing about stuff that's bothering me, or at least write it down but it eventually turns into a song I made up.

There was this one song I remembered, that I found really matched how I felt at the moment. After I realized that Kyoya had a lot of pressure on his shoulders, I understood why he was so heartless, and i couldn't stay mad at him for a misunderstanding like that. After a while, I found my fingers sweeping across the black and white keys as music began to filter the room, and I eventually found myself singing.

_It's like he doesn't hear a word I say,  
His mind is somewhere far away,  
And I don't know how to get there._

_It's like all he wants is to chill out,  
He makes me wanna pull all my hair out,  
Like he doesn't even care_

_You and me  
We're face to face  
But we don't see eye to eye._

_Like fire and rain  
You can drive me insane  
But I can't stay mad at you for anything.  
We're Venus and Mars  
We're like different stars.  
But you're the harmony to every song I sing,  
And I wouldn't change a thing._

My fingers brushed along the keys in sync with the music in my head. My mind was lost in the music that I didn't notice anything around me. The tune flowed from my mind and into my hands as they pressed the keys up to the second verse.

_He's always working hard all day  
I just wanna let my music play  
He's all or nothing,  
But my feelings never change.  
Why does he try to read my mind?  
It's not good to psychoanalyze  
That's what all of my friends say._

_You and me  
We're face to face,  
But we don't see eye to eye._

_Like fire and rain  
You can drive me insane,  
But I can't stay made at you for anything.  
We're Venus and Mars.  
We're like different stars.  
But you're the harmony to every song I sing,  
And I wouldn't change a thing._

My voice suddenly took over as I entered the bridge. The music still flowed trough my fingers, but my voice became more emotional. I wasn't just singing a song. I was pouring out my feelings towards Kyoya.

_When I'm 'yes' he's 'no'.  
When I hold on, he just let's go._

_We're perfectly imperfect,  
But I wouldn't change a thing (No)._

My voice probably had more feeling in it as I shifted to a higher key for the final chorus.

_We're like fire and rain.  
You can drive me insane,  
But I can't stay mad at you for anything.  
We're Venus and Mars.  
We're like different stars.  
But you're the harmony to every song I sing.  
And I wouldn't change a thing._

_But I can't stay mad at you for anything._  
_We're Venus and Mars._  
_We're like different stars._  
_But you're the harmony to every song I sing._  
_And I wouldn't change a . . ._  
_Wouldn't change a thing_

I held that last note, gradually softening my voice while taking my foot off the pedal. I sat at that piano thinking over the emotion that I just poured out. It sure would be more difficult to say what was in my heart in front of Kyoya. Sighing, I stood up and slung my bag over my shoulder. As I exited the room, I realized that the door was left open ajar, and I blushed hoping that no one heard me. Well, the school was empty by now, so I didn't have much to worry about.

Without hesitation, I closed the door to the music room before making my way down the hall.

* * *

**Well, there you go you guys. Another long one.**

**Note: For those of you who have seen Camp Rock 2, "Wouldn't Change a Thing" is a duet between Joe and Demi. So, since K.C. was the only one singing, I just used all of Demi's lyrics. I had to tweak the second verse a little, since part of that was Joe's.**

**Anyways, hope you guys liked it, and reviews are greatly appreciated!**

**Replies to reviews from last chapter:**

**Me and Gaara 4ever: Don't worry, despite making my OC suffer, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel *hint hint***

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: NO! He can't die! Or else that'll ruin my whole plot! LOL jk. Yeah, he can be a real pain sometimes, and, yes, Tamaki and be a sweetie-pie! :)**

**Aurora-16: From now on, my chapters won't be posted until the weekends! Unless I'm having one of those moments where I finish a chapter super early and am **_**desperate**_** to post it! Yeah, Tamaki is super cute sometimes! Oooh doughnut. Yays! Thanks!**

**Red Rose Cat: Thanks! Every week, a new chapter, so stay tuned!**

**AllyraMortlock: Thanks. Yeah, my friend told me about the 'lol' thing and I just had to share it :)**


	24. Thrills and Chills

**Okay, here it is! An early Halloween present for all of my beloved fans! I can't thank you guys enough for the reviews and hits I've received in the past four months! It makes me feel so special! :') The reason why I'm giving the Halloween chapter to you guys early instead of on the actual date is because 1). I don't want to make you guys wait three weeks. And 2). It's better to get into the Halloween spirit early, like getting into the Christmas spirit three months in advance!**

**WARNING!: Like the previous chapter, DO NOT READ THIS AT NIGHT IF YOU ARE EASILY SCARED!**

**Anyway, here it is!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club (For the umpteenth time in a row . . . I mean you guys get the picture . . .)**

**Claimer: I own all of my OC's yays! :D**

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**~ Chapter 24 ~**

**Thrills and Chills**

This was it, the weekend everyone in Class 1-A had been waiting for: The Fright Night. A special event everyone in the class had been gossiping and squealing over. The haunted hallways were decorated with eerie skeletons, ominous corpses, and sticky spider webs. Some of the students were excited about being the prey and frightened out of their wits by the hunters, while others, mainly the girls, trembled in fear, but they looked to the boys in their group for protection.

Of course, like every weekend, school came first. I strode down the haunted hallways of the north wing with the tapping of my shoes on the marble floor, being the only sound echoing through the narrow corridors. Every time I turned a corner, I gazed in awe at the decorations that lined the walls. Back home in America, all the decorations we hung up were either hand-made or plastic, not realistic. It really looked as if the north wing of the school building had been occupied by a group of people, who were then mysteriously assassinated.

Tonight was going to be a blast!

Because there was an even number of boys and girls in the class, each group was split with two boys and two girls in each. Tao and I were the girls of our group while Satoshi and Yasuchika were the boys. Tao's face turned red as a tomato when she found out that Satoshi would be in our group, but I wasn't too surprised. Actually, I asked Menami if he could be set in our group. Hey, I wanted Tao to come out of her comfort zone and talk to him. If she could become good friends with Satoshi and then become his girlfriend, she could possibly get out of the arranged marriage.

As soon as the lunch bell rang, Tao and I walked together to the cafeteria, and then seated ourselves at the table.

"I can't believe it," she breathed. "Yasuchika _and_ Satoshi are in our group! What are the odds?"

"You sound eager," I spoke with a grin.

"Yeah, I can just imagine being scared out of my wits, but then along comes Morinozuka-san to comfort me." Then she sighed. "Of course, I doubt that he'd do that since we barely know each other."

"Tao, you can't be so negative. Remember what I told you?"

"I know, I know. I've just got to get over my nerves and talk to him if I ever want to get out of this marriage."

"I'm sure you'll be all right. Small-talk is still the same as a regular conversation."

Tao nodded her head in agreement as we continued our lunch. The low murmur of the other chatty students soon filtered through the banquet-hall-like cafeteria. When I glanced up from my plate to face my friend, I found her staring off in the distance. Following her gaze, I saw that she was staring at Satoshi.

"You can't just keep daydreaming, you know," I spoke.

Tao jumped, startled; but when she glanced back at me, she sighed. "I know. But, it's easier for me to think about talking to him, not . . . person."

"That's one of the many things in life you have to work for," I remarked. "You can't just wish on a star, hoping that the next day Satoshi will show up on your doorstep and ask you out. But," I added with a smile, "but, if you work hard for it, you'll hook him."

"Thanks, K.C."

"Anytime."

After that, we decided to change the subject, mainly because Tao would gaze off at Satoshi again, so I decided to keep her mind on something else. The week before, our group gathered together at the Morinozuka estate to come up with a plan in case we were chosen as the hunters. If we were the prey, we'd have to watch our backs at all times. Of course, after the "practice" with the twins, I was up for anything, mostly because I wouldn't be alone.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as the bell rang, the students filed out of the cafeteria and headed off to their classes. There had been so much on my mind for the past two weeks that it was hard to stay focused during the lecture; but when classroom break came around, Tao, Yasuchika, Satoshi, and I gathered around our desks and went over our plans for the night, with our fingers crossed hoping to be the hunters.

At the ending of the afternoon class, Menami announced which groups would be which. The four of us turned out to be the prey, but either was fine by me. It was the experience that counts.

Once the dismissal bell rang, the students packed up their satchels and filed out of the class rooms and down the halls towards their clubs. Some were chatting about the Halloween event, while others were chatting about weekend plans. Tao invited me to the Host Club for the afternoon, but I had to decline once again. I truly despised turning down all her offers to the club, but I couldn't allow her to know my secret.

To keep Tao, from finding out, I took a separate hallway towards the storeroom to pick up some props the hosts would need for their Halloween cosplay, and I didn't have to peek inside the box to guess what the twins' outfits were. Something in my gut told me that they would either be cats or devils, but either one suited them perfectly. I'd have to watch my back if Hikaru and Kaoru tried to startle me again.

Once I reached the music room door, I shifted the box to one arm, in order to grab the handle of the door; and then I turned around so that I could push the door open with my back while holding the heavy box with two hands.

"All right, who's ready to spookify the clubroom?" I inquired, turning around once I was inside.

Once my gaze landed on the interior of the clubroom, I just had to stare. Cobwebs hung in the corners of the room and around the chandeliers. The drapes were drawn over the windows, absorbing the light from the room. The tables, with a scarlet red cloth draped over it, had a candelabra placed as a centerpiece. There were a few coffins around the room, some on the window seat, and others set against the wall. The third music room had transformed into a haunted house.

"K.C.-chan!" a familiar voice squealed.

I braced for impact and held the box steady as the Lolita jumped up and clung to my side as he giggled with delight. Ever since I began working for the club, I've gotten used to Hunny's glomping; but even though I receive at least ten glomps per week from him, he was too cute to push away.

"Hey, Hunny-senpai," I spoke, as he released me.

I set the box down and gazed down at him. The Lolita was dressed up like a little werewolf -well, for his character, he was more of a wear-puppy. Hunny was dressed in a furry wolf costume, with the paws and everything, while, on the costume, were a pair of pants, which were torn to give it the werewolf look. On his head, he wore a headband with ears, and he had face paint on.

"You look super cute in your costume," I commented with a smile.

"Thanks," he answered cheerfully.

Then he let out a little howl that I just had to coo at. He was the cutest little wear-puppy in the whole wide world!

"Mitsukuni," a deep monotone voice spoke from above us. "The moon isn't out yet."

Hunny and I both glanced up to find Mori in an identical outfit as Hunny, except his werewolf costume looked more muscular. I could feel my face flustering up as I gazed up at him, and I looked away waiting for my face to return to its normal color.

The Lolita only smiled up at his tall friend before climbing up onto his shoulders. "We match!"

"I see that," I spoke. "You guys are a perfect pair for each other."

"Family has to stick together," Hunny replied cheerfully.

"Family? You mean you two are related?"

Hunny nodded, and then nuzzled his head on top of Mori's. "We're cousins!"

"Wow . . . I never would've guessed."

I wasn't sure anyone would've guessed at first that the two of them were cousins. They were just so different from each other. Of course, everyone has differences whether their family or not. For Mori and Hunny, it was almost like mutualism.

"Mori-senpai, Hunny-senpai, could you help set up the graveyard?" another familiar deep voice called out.

The three of us turned to find Kyoya dressed in a white collar shirt with cuffed sleeves and black slacks. He wore a black cape around him that jutted upward at the collar. As he spoke, I noticed a pair of fangs in his mouth, so there was no doubt that he was a blood-sucking vampire.

Both Mori and Hunny nodded affirming, and then Mori turned and walked in the direction of the graveyard, while Hunny twisted his body around to face me.

"See you later, K.C.-chan!" the Lolita squealed, while waving.

I would've waved back at him, but my hands were full at the moment. I watched as Hunny slid off of his towering cousin's shoulders and assist him with assembling the graveyard. I still couldn't believe that the two of them were cousins; well, I guess every family has a surprising story. Kind of like my life. I live with my brother, but whenever we're in public, everyone assumes that Joe was my father, probably because he was much taller than I was. We live a normal life, even though we came from a filthy rich background.

Setting the box down on the ground, I sat on my knees and opened it. Inside were a few more costumes as well as some skeletons to hang around the club. I drew out the costume on the top, only to find that there was a duplicate underneath it. Both of the costumes were black cats. _The twins._ I thought to myself.

"We'll take those," a pair of voices spoke.

Before I could do anything, the duplicate costumes were taken from the box by two pairs of hands. I glanced up to find none other than the two brothers, who were scanning over their costumes, flipping it around, probably checking for any tears in the fabric.

I smirked. "I had a feeling you two were going to be cats."

"Oh, really?" the two inquired with those smirks.

"Just call it a hunch," I answered, standing up. "It was either cats or devils."

Then, I drew out the skeletons and cobwebs from the box and proceeded to set them in the clubroom where I thought they would fit the most. While decorating, I would step back a few feet to examine the position, and readjust it until it was perfect. As soon as the box had been completely emptied, I carried it into the dressing room. The twins had left me alone, thank goodness, to try on their costumes, so, I was in and out of the room in a flash. Hey, who knows if those two were plotting another dressing room fright fest?

Suddenly, I felt something being placed on my head, while a ribbon was being twisted around my waist. I moved my hand up to my head and felt around to find that I was wearing a headband with ears on it; and when I twisted my upper body to look around behind me, I found a black tail connected to the ribbon around my waist.

"We match!" a pair of voices spoke, while furry arms wrapped around my body.

"Of course, there's something missing," Hikaru mused, standing up and scanning me over.

"Something important," Kaoru added.

I wasn't exactly sure what the two of them were talking about. It didn't matter to me if I looked somewhat like a cat or not.

After a few moments, the twins simultaneously snapped their fingers as that grin spread across their face. "Every kitty needs to look the part," Kaoru spoke, holding my head in his hand, while his brother drew out a pencil and lightly brushed it across my cheek.

Once the twins were finished, they stood up back up with their arms draped around each other's shoulders. "Perfect!" Then the twins pressed the sides of their heads against mine. "_Now_ we match!"

Then, their throats vibrated as they imitated purring. Yes, these two were definitely the cat-type. Just glancing over at the twins in their little cat outfits made that Siamese Cat song from "Lady and the Tramp" pop in my mind. I had to get these two off my back. It's not that i hated being around them; hosting hours were about to begin, and I had to prepare everything.

"Why would you kitties want to be close to me?" I inquired. "I mean, black cats are bad luck after all."

"Yes, and so are many others in the world of superstition," an eerie voice spoke from the shadows.

Everyone froze where they were, especially Tamaki, who was originally harassing Haruhi, and he hid behind a pillar, biting his fingernails. A cackling laughter echoed through the clubroom as the fire on the candelabras flickered. A creaking noise on the far side of the room directed everyone's attention as a dark figure stepped into the room with a little cat puppet on his hand.

The figure slowly approached the group. Hunny hid his face in Mori's hair, while Tamaki climbed up the pillar and held on for dear life while he trembled. Haruhi, Mori, the twins, and Kyoya were unfazed. I, on the other hand, just stood there confused. What the heck was going on?

As soon as the figure came into a focus where I could get a better look at him, I noticed that he was wearing the regular male's uniform; however, he wore a black cloak with the hood draped over his forehead. His eyes were hidden behind a curtain of black hair.

"N-Nekozawa . . . s-s-senpai," Tamaki stuttered from the ceiling.

"Who?" I inquired.

"Ah, a new student I see," the cloaked figure spoke. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Umehito Nekozawa, president of the black magic club."

"Black Magic club, huh," I mused.

I had no idea that the school even had one. Well, when I first came to Ouran Academy, there were a ton of bizarre clubs to choose from, especially the Host Club.

I smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Nekozawa-san. I'm Katherine Johnson, the transfer to Ouran."

"The one from America?" the cloaked student inquired, astounded. "I must say that you speak Japanese very fluently."

"Arigatou, it took a while to master, but I got the hang of it-"

Suddenly, before I could say anything else, I felt a pair of arms strap around my waist and haul me over to a pillar.

"K.C., are you insane?" a hoarse whisper spoke.

I turned around to find Tamaki with a stern, yet worried, countenance. "What? All I was doing was being friendly."

"You don't associate with _him_," Tamaki whispered.

"He seems like a nice guy."

"That's what he wants you to think. He wants you to believe that he's harmless, and then the next thing you know, you step on his puppet and be cursed forever!"

"How do you even know that?"

"I've experienced it."

"Well, I don't believe in curses and all that hooey."

Tamaki gasped. "You'd better watch your back, Katherine. I was a non-believer once; but be warned, the non-believers are the first one to get cursed."

I stared at him with a raised eyebrow. What in the world was he talking about? Nekozawa didn't seem like he could hurt a fly, and besides black magic was just a bunch of bologna. I wouldn't say that to Nekozawa's face for fear of offending him, of course. But, seriously, Tamaki sure was paranoid about him.

"Tamaki-senpai," I spoke flatly. "I think you've officially lost it."

Then, I stood up and began to walk back over to where I stood, but then I heard a shriek from the Black Magic Club president. When I glanced up, I found the twins had pointed a flashlight in his face that was on.

Nekozawa staggered backward, shielding his eyes with his arms, and then he turned around and made a beeline for the door. "Murderers!"

"What do you two think you were doing?" I inquired sternly. "That wasn't very nice."

"We were just trying to shoo him out of here so that he wouldn't scare away our guests," they both replied innocently.

"Well, you two could've just asked him politely to leave," I retorted.

"That would've been the boring way," Hikaru spoke, resting an arm on my shoulder.

"Besides, we're black cats," Kaoru added, mimicking his brother.

"We give people bad luck, remember?" they asked together.

I sighed as I rolled my eyes at the two of them. Sometimes those two can be sweet, sometimes a handful, and sometimes just downright naive. It was hard to discern whether I liked the twins or not. Sure they bugged the snot out of me at times, but they were always there for me like older brothers . . . really annoying older brothers.

Before I could say something else, there was a wailing cry from the other side of the room. "But Daddy just wants to see his little girl in a dress!"

"I'm not dressing as a witch, senpai!" Haruhi snapped back.

"But it's your color!" Tamaki wailed in protest.

"Boss, if Haruhi doesn't want to wear that outfit, then she doesn't have to," the twins spoke, walking over to the bickering hosts.

Both Tamaki and Haruhi glanced over at them, surprised; but then, the twins plastered on their trademark grin and held up another witch's outfit, which sent Tamaki into a fit about how "inappropriate" it was. If you asked me, I didn't think that it was too inappropriate at all. It was just a short puff-ball skirt with black netted leggings, and a black, low-cut top that frilled at the bust.

The blonde host and the twins were sent into another one of their squabbles, while Haruhi edged her way out of the battlefield.

I stared at the bickering trio and then sighed. "Why doesn't Haruhi just dress as the bride of Frankenstein? I mean, if Tamaki were Frankenstein, he wouldn't talk much for the entire club hours."

"Because Tamaki must be able to speak in order to entertain his guests, or else the club will lose most of its profits," the all too familiar arrogant tone of the Shadow King spoke as he stood beside me.

_That was a rhetorical question_, I growled in my mind. "Well, it would be nice change for him to just shut up for a day."

Kyoya nodded in agreement, since he always had to put up with Tamaki's babbling every day. They were in the same class, so he must've gotten rather annoyed most of the time.

After a moment of silence, I sighed. "Well, I guess I'd better get started on work."

Then, I strode across the room and passed the bickering hosts into the kitchen. Once inside, and the squabble from the outside was muffled, I sighed. Strapping my apron around my waist, I busily rushed around the room, gathering the cakes together and decorating them. The cakes were still frosted according to their flavors, but the tops were ices with orange and black decorations for Halloween.

While preparing the cakes, I also whipped up a batch of chocolate cupcakes for the guests as well. Two dozen were decorated with black icing and orange bats, while the other two dozen were decorated with orange icing and black bats. Hey, even when you're preparing food, you have to get into the spirit of Halloween.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Like regular cosplay days, I felt like I was working twice as fast. By the end of the day, I was panting from exhaustion. Well, at least it was over with. Of course, I had to clean the kitchen and assist the hosts with packing everything away so that I could meet up with Tao and the rest of my group for Fright Night. Just thinking about the event sent chills down my back while butterflies of excitement fluttered in my stomach. I didn't rush while scrubbing the food remains off the dishes, and I diligently set everything back in its place and wiped down the counters.

As soon as I was finished, I washed the pencil marking from my face. Then, I untied the apron from around my back, wary not to untie the tail on accident, and then I hung it up on its hook. Shouldering my book bag, I walked out of the kitchen to find that the clubroom was nearly cleared out.

"Hey," I called out to them. "Make sure to leave some stuff for me you guys."

"That won't be necessary, Johnson-san," a voice spoke from behind me.

I didn't have to guess who it was, since it was all too obvious. "What do you mean, senpai?"

"You have a class event to attend, correct?" he inquired.

"Yeah, but I can take a few things down to the storeroom for you guys," I protested.

"That's quite all right," he spoke. "Everything here is nearly packed up anyway."

I stared up at Kyoya confused. Was he being . . . nice to me? As I gazed around the room once more, I found that everything was indeed nearly packed up, so Kyoya was just trying to be reasonable, not nice. He was a businessman after all.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys on Monday then," I spoke, as I began to walk across the room to the door.

"Johnson-san," the Shadow King's voice called out after I had taken a couple of steps.

An exasperated sigh escaped my throat, but I plastered on a smile to hide my irritation. "Yes, Ootori-senpai?"

Kyoya smiled as he adjusted his glasses, and then glanced up at me. "I must admit that you made a perfect cat in that costume."

My cheeks tinted a pinkish color, as I glanced away from him. "Um, thanks . . . senpai."

"Of course, you know that you can't show it off to the whole school, correct?" he spoke arrogantly with that grin still on his face.

My blush faded as I glanced back at him. This time I didn't have a mask on, and my irritation was obvious. I didn't want to stride out of the room looking like a little kitty-cat. I was just annoyed that his flattering comment was just a reminder that I was still wearing the costume the twins put on me.

"Oh, I almost forgot," I spoke, managing a smile. "Thanks for reminding me, senpai."

He only grinned back before turning away and walking in a different direction. I sighed, relaxing my facial muscles. How come it takes more muscles to frown than smile, while smiling hurts more? I didn't have time to think up a hypothesis for that. I had to meet up with me group. After tossing the cat ears and tail into a box of costumes, I made my way across the room towards the door, saying my good-byes to everyone before exiting.

Well, now for the fun part of the evening.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Man, these hallways look spookier in the dark," Yasuchika commented as we strode down the corridors.

I must confess that they did. In the daylight, it was obvious to determine that they were nothing but props, but in the darkness, it was difficult to determine. They looked like actually dead bodies slaughtered in the haunted halls. In fact, I'll admit that I was a little paranoid that the hunters were going to jump out at us at any moment.

"Hey, we've got a few hours until this is over, right?" I spoke, trying to stay calm.

"Yeah, K.C.'s right," Satoshi agreed. "This'll all be over in no time."

Suddenly, the room became a couple of degrees colder than normal, and my teeth began to chatter together. Did someone open a window? It was freezing! Before I could as that question, there was a low moan from down the hall. The four of us spun around and glanced in that direction. There was nothing there.

"Sh-should we keep moving?" Tao inquired.

"I guess so," Yasuchika answered.

Then, the three of us began our stroll through the haunted halls. There were no more sounds from anywhere, but suddenly, there was a female shriek from behind us. I recognized the scream as Tao's, who raced over to us, trembling in fear.

"Tao, what happened?" Satoshi inquired.

"S-something g-g-grabbed my sh-shoulder . . . from the sh-shadows," she stuttered in reply.

"They're coming for us," Yasuchika spoke up. "We'd better watch our backs."

Before the four of us could continue our journey down the corridor, there was a creaking sound from down the hall where the staircase was, and the four of us glanced down the hall to find a pale-skinned girl with long black hair. Her bangs draped in front of her eyes. Okay, I was officially freaked out at the moment that I didn't know what to do. As I glanced around, Satoshi, Tao, and even the karate president were frozen in place.

"Can you help me . . .?" the girly spoke in an eerie voice. "I've lost my way . . ."

None of us knew what to do or say, so we stood there frozen. Suddenly, the girl slowly approached us with her head facing the ground, as she drew closer, she lifted her head up to reveal a half eaten face, and a scar over her eye. Even though it was just a costume, it still looked like a walking, talking corpse.

_Maybe we should've had a Halloween party . . ._ I mused.

The girl didn't stop. She had her eyes locked on all four of us as she stepped closer. I glanced around at the others in my group. Yasuchika frozen in place beside me, and Tao clung on to Satoshi with her face buried in his blazer. Well, at least she was close to him like she wanted.

I knew I had to stand up and be the leader since no one would take charge. "Run for it!"

My shrill scream echoed through the halls; and instantly after I said that, my three classmates turned around and we all raced down the hall where we originally came from. I had never been so terrified in my life. I thought that the hunters were going to be dressed in crummy costumes running around trying to scare everyone. Why did they have to be sons and daughters of rich zillionaires that can afford Hollywood authentic costumes?

Suddenly, my foot tripped over a wire and I fell flat on my face. I groaned as I stood up, and when I opened my eyes, I saw a hand in front of my face.

"Thanks . . ." I spoke, placing my hand in its.

Once it helped me stand up, I tore my hand out and scream, realizing that it was one of the zombie girls. I stood there frozen in place as she stared at me with cold, unblinking eyes. "Why are you afraid?" she asked in a raspy voice, taking a step towards me.

I didn't respond. I only took a step back every time she moved closer to me. Frantically glancing around the halls, I searched for my group, but there was no sign of them. Guess I had to fend for myself now.

"S-stay away f-from m-m-me!" I yelled.

"Why? We don't want to hurt you," she spoke in that eerie voice that sent goose bumps crawling over my skin.

_We?_ I repeated in my mind. _You mean to tell me there're more of you freaks?_

My question was answered when I backed into a slightly taller body who bound its pale white arms around me.

"We only want to have some fun," a voice spoke from above me.

I swallowed hard as I slowly tilted my head back to gaze into a pair of hazel eyes. It was the girl from the staircase, and just seeing that deformed corpse face was enough for me to handle. I screamed at the top of my lungs as squirmed to break free, but the two corpse girls only cackled evilly. Suddenly, they were joined by a third one, and then began to surround me.

Fake or not, I didn't want to be in this situation any longer!

On instinct, I stomped my heel into the foot of the girl that held me captive, and then I jabbed my elbow into her stomach. She released me to clutch her, probably bruised, stomach. I ran as I brushed through the girls shouting an apology as I raced down the hallway. Hey, they were obviously students, and I didn't want to cause any trouble.

As I turned the corner, I was met with another haunted hallway, but no sign of my group.

"Come back, Katherine," the three girls called from the hall I just came from. "We just want to play . . ."

I didn't respond. I simply rushed down the hall and around random corners. Why did I agree to attend this event? I thought that it was going to be fun and a new experience. Well, it was a new experience, but it wasn't fun at all! Everything looked so realistic, and I just wanted to get away from it all. Wait . . . that was it! Menami said told the class that the boundaries were only the north wing; so if I could make it to the front of the school, I could be home free. Without hesitation, I picked up speed as I darted around corners, completely ignoring the other hunters. All I wanted was to get out of this school and head back to my apartment!

As soon as I reached a hallway with no props, I slowed my pace down to a walking pace. I released a deep breath, relieved that it was all over with.

Or so I thought . . .

"We know you're out there, Katherine," a raspy voice spoke on the school's intercom.

"And we won't rest until we find you . . ." another eerie voice added.

_Too bad, because the north wing is the limit!_ I proclaimed triumphantly in my mind. Then, I turned towards the main stairwell and place my hand on the railing, but then I froze in place and gasped. A head of black hair bobbed up and down as the figure slowly ascended the staircase. I stared down at her, trembling, while she lifted her corpse head up to reveal a set of yellow teeth, with some missing.

I held my breath as I gazed down at her. "Th-that's not fair! The limits are the north wing!"

"We know," she spoke as she scaled a few more steps.

"But, we like to play by our own rules," a pair of voices spoke from beside me.

I quickly spun around to find the other two zombie girls approaching me. As they drew closer, I took a step back but nearly tumbled backwards down the stairs, until I was caught in a pair of pale limbs.

"You can try and run, Katherine," an eerie voice whispered in my ear. "We'll follow you all night if we have to. You're far from your group. No one can save you now."

Using the rail as a support, I pulled myself up onto the top staircase and rushed down the halls. I wasn't sure what got my heart racing at its peak, the fact that I have been running through the halls, or being in near death situations with these party-crashers.

I continued to rush down the halls, not even caring where I was headed to, until I came to the end of a hall. Before turning the corner, I glanced up at the sign. **Music Room 3.** _Please, please, __please __let someone be in here!_ I pleaded as I placed my hand on the door handle. It jiggled up and down, but it wouldn't turn. Great. The hosts had already left. But it had only been about twenty minutes or so passed closing time. Maybe they locked it so that no one else could get inside.

"Katherine . . ." the ominous chorus of the girls called out.

Not wanting to be taken captive and join the undead, I banged my fists against the door of the music room. "Hey! Let me in! Somebody, please, whoever is in there, open the door!"

I continued to pound my fists against the door calling out each of the hosts name as they popped into my mind, Mori first because he was the strong stoic one. There was the sound of footsteps walking on the marble flooring of the hall, that grew louder the closer they approached me. I never gave up on opening the door. Someone had to be in there. Tears began pouring from my eyes as fear wracked my body.

"Kyoya!" I called out absentmindedly. "Kyoya, please, if your in there, open up the door!"

The footsteps grew louder as I softened my fists against the door. It was no use. The hosts had probably packed up and left for home by now, but something told me that Kyoya was still in there. I mean, he stayed a little while after club hours anyway to finish up work on his computer. Unless, he took it home and worked on it there. That was a possibility.

"Aww . . . is this little, lost kitten running to the Host Club for help?" the taunting voice of one of the undead inquired.

"They've already left, so it's no use," the other girl added.

Whirling around, I saw the three corpse girls just a few yards away from me, and I could see a smirk on each of their faces with an evil glint in their leader's eyes. I had to keep running. If i could make it to the front gate without being caught by them again, then I was home free.

I turned and darted at top speed down the hall towards the central part of the building. _Almost there . . ._ I spoke as I descended the staircase. I could just picture walking into my apartment and plopping down on my bed. How I wished I had magic powers and just teleport myself there! Well, I was close to the main entrance so after that, I could run all the way to the comfort of my apartment.

As soon as my foot touched the bottom of the staircase, it became stuck, which sent me landing flat on my face in the sticky gunk. I sputtered some of the contents that entered my mouth and reached my hand up to wipe my face off. The taste was a little familiar to me though. Reaching my hand up to my nose, I sniffed the sticky substance and then licked it with my tongue to see if i could identify it with taste.

_Maple syrup? _I mused.

"Katherine . . . we know you're around here . . ." the chorus of the girls echoed from the top of the staircase.

I scrambled to my feet, and then I took off running down the hall. As soon as I passed by the chairman's office, I picked up speed, knowing that I was almost there. Sliding to a stop, I raced over to the doors and flung them open only. I inhaled the chilling autumn breeze, welcoming it into my lungs, and then I stepped outside.

Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, there was a cackling laugh from above me. I glanced up to find a black blur racing toward me at top speed. It flew above me, and I feel off the side of the stairs, waiting for unconsciousness to settle in. No. Instead, I landed in something cushy. I rolled around to get to my feet, and then I sneeze as a fuzzy substance tickled my nose.

"Feathers?" I pondered out loud.

As I continued to wonder, I climbed out of the giant bucket of feathers, only to be haunted by a deep cackling laughter followed by the sound of a chainsaw motor. Okay, _that_ was definitely _not_ the twins, but I didn't want to stay to find out. Picking up speed, I rushed passed the fountain, where I was momentarily blinded by a flash of light. As soon as I retrieved my sight, I continued my sprint out the front gate and down the side walk.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as I reached the safety of my apartment, I climbed the staircase to my room, and then entered it. First thing I had to do was get out of my ruined uniform and wash my sweaty body. After setting my messenger bag at the chair in my desk, I pulled out my pajamas for the night, and then walked to the bathroom.

The warm water soaked my hair and trickled down my bare skin, while I contemplated over the evening events. I could _not_ believe the experience I had. Not only was I haunted and scared out of my wits, but I was haunted by three girls from a different class. They couldn't have been real zombies, so they were definitely girls from another class. Did they set up the maple syrup and the bucket of feathers? Possibly. Who would do such a thing?

Well, whoever it was, they were just trying to have fun on the Fright Night, and I agree with those who oppose saying it was Class1-A's even only. All I could do now was forgive whoever pranked me like that and move on.

Turning off the shower, I stepped out onto the rug and dried myself off with the towel. After slipping into my pajamas, brushing my hair, and teeth, I climbed into bed and switched off the lamp. I nuzzled my head into my pillow, but then I gazed around the darkness of my room. Reaching my hand up once more, I flipped on my lamplight, and then laid my head back down on the pillow, waiting for sleep to take me away.

* * *

**Oooooh, who done it?**

**Yays! Nekozawa's first appearance! I didn't know what else to put in that part, so I made him suffer the light. It was funnier that way.**

**Oh, and the cupcakes were as request by Snow'n'Cupcakes! LOL It just seemed to fit in there! ;)**

**Anyways, you guys know the drill by now! Rate and Review!**

**Replies to review from last chapter (8! New Record!)**

**silverrain1312: haha! yeah, I was trying to come up with something stupid for him to say, and that was the first thing that popped in my mind! Oh, yeah, that is definitely something Vic would say if Tamaki said it ;). Don't worry, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for those two.**

**Aurora-16: Sorry! I had a lot to write about, and I stayed up 'til 2:30 am! I couldn't stop! Yeah, she's starting to grow on him ;). **

**Me and Gaara 4ever: Maybe . . . ;)**

**Takara Rose Oizumi: Thanks for reading!**

**Lyall of the Rose: All 23? How long did it take you? Wow . . . that makes me feel awesome! I hope your dad is okay. LOLz! Updates are every week!**

**badwolf123: I tend to work a little on each chapter after I get through with school work, so I still have time for sleep! ;) (Weekends don't count :D)**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: I'm not saying that he did, and I'm not saying that he didn't either . . . You'll just have to find out ;).**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Thanks! Yeah, she's a tomboy, she don't care 'bout no dresses . . . sometimes.**


	25. Confrontations

**Whaddup peoples?**

**Okie-dokies, it's that time again... Time for another update of my Ouran Fic "Fitting In!" I want to thank all of my viewers and reviewers for sticking with me up to this part! By how many reviews I have received in only 24 chapters... I feel so special :'). I... I feel so blessed to have my first fanfic this popular! ***_**Starts balling out crying**_*** This is such a HUGE honor... ***_**takes a few deep breaths to calm down**_*** Okay... I'm better now.**

**Anyways, I know how anxious you guys are to get to the story, so let's get on with it! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything Ouran related...**

**Claimer: I own all of my OC's**

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**~ Chapter 25 ~**

**Confrontations**

What a weekend! Through the nights, I tossed and turned in my bed, barely able to catch a few winks without thinking about my terrifying encounter. I sure was right, it was a night to remember, and it would haunt me for the rest of my life. I continued to tell myself that it was just some students dressed in costumes -frightening, realistic, undead costumes... Rich kids sure love to use as much of their money in their parents bank account...

What I couldn't stop wondering was why those three girls trying to scare me wouldn't follow the rules and stay within the limits. Well, I went out of boundaries myself, but that was only to get the heck out of the school. Yeah, I'll confess I was terrified. I nearly passed out when that one girl grabbed me. Who were they? They knew who I was, obviously, because they kept saying my name. Were they possibly a group of female hunters in my class? Maybe... maybe they got caught up in the fun that they forgot about the boundaries. But, they admitted that they did saying that "they play by their own rules".

That night had passed already, so all I had to focus on was staying awake during the lesson, or else I might miss an important detail that could be on the exam. Sadly, I would nod off every once in a while, but I would quickly jerk my head back up as soon as I felt my eyes closing shut. As soon as the lunch bell rang, I jumped with a start; but I quickly regained my composure as I began to pack away my text books into my bag.

"Katherine-san?" a male voice asked from beside me.

Somewhat startled, since I was close to falling asleep again, I quickly turned my head to face whoever was speaking to me. Lifting my head upwards, I found Satoshi and Yasuchika with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Hey, guys," I spoke with a slight smile. "What's up?"

"What happened to you Friday night?" Satoshi inquired.

"Yeah, you just disappeared," Yasuchika added.

"I... I guess those zombie girls scared me so much that I took a wrong turn," I answered.

"We were worried that something happened to you," said Yasuchika.

"Oh, sorry," I answered sadly. "I didn't mean to make you guys worry. But, hey," I added as I managed a smile, "it's not like they were going to eat my brains or anything."

"Well, anyway, we need to be heading off to lunch now," spoke Satoshi as the two cousins turned to exit the classroom. "It's good to hear that you weren't brainwashed or anything."

I laughed as the two boys exited. Yes, that was one heck of a night, a terrifying one that would probably scar me for life. Well, it was somewhat fun. As I shouldered my satchel and walked out of the classroom, I began to think back on the Fright Night, especially the last part when I was exiting the school. A tarp covered in maple syrup was set at the bottom of the staircase, and a bucket of feathers was placed by the staircase outside of the school. Suspicious? Well, it could've been part of someone's prank to scare the student home. I must confess that it was a rather ingenious plan. What was that flash of light that I saw though? Well, I was sure that I would find out in due time.

As I walked around the banquet-hall-like cafeteria, I soon found Tao sitting at a table reading a newspaper, most likely the school's newspaper. As I approached her, I noticed her glance over slightly before returning back to reading the article. She had a shocked look on her face as she scanned over the text, probably about one of the school's top athletes breaking a leg or something like that.

"Hey, Tao," I spoke, taking a seat across from her.

"Oh, hey, K.C.," she spoke, lowering the paper somewhat so that I could see her eyes that quickly scanned the black and white text.

I smiled as I placed my hand on top of the paper and pulled it down. "Don't you know it's impolite to read at the lunch table?"

The brown-haired student sighed and then glanced out at the other chatty students. "Try telling that to _them._"

I followed her gaze only to find that nearly every student sat at the lunch table reading a newspaper. Some of their friends were glancing over their shoulders and pointing to something on the thin paper, which they laughed about and continued reading more. I stared at all of them quizzically, but then I shrugged as I turned back to face Tao.

"So, what's the top story?" I inquired, opening my bento. "'Ouran rated #1 School in Japan'? 'Bigfoot discovered in Karuizawa'?"

"Neither," Tao spoke gravely, glancing back at me.

Raising an eyebrow, I looked up at her. Her ash-gray eyes were solid with seriousness as she stared at me. Her usual cheery smile had curled downward into a slight frown. Before I could ask what was wrong, Tao sighed and folded the newspaper in half.

"You should see for yourself," she spoke, pushing the paper across the table towards me.

The front cover was face down building up the suspense for the mystery. Curious I lifted the paper off the table and flipped it over in my hands. As soon as I saw the front picture, my eyes widened in shock, and I nearly dropped the paper on the table. The main article was titled: "**Fearless Karate Girl is a Chicken?"** And the picture on the front, which took up nearly a half of the cover, was a picture of me running passed the fountain, covered in syrup and feathers. There was a lengthy article about the whole situation, obviously exaggerated to attract viewers.

I couldn't stop staring at the picture. Tears fought their way to streak down the sides of my face, but I blinked them back into their hiding spots. The laughter of the students that surrounded me seemed to grow louder, drowning out every other sound, and I felt like standing up and bolting right out of that room. No, I couldn't do that. That would only show those "hunters" that they had won. I had to shake the humiliation off, knowing that a new embarrassing story would be published and mine would quickly be forgotten.

"What happened Friday Night?" Tao asked, rather calmly.

I sighed, setting the newspaper down on the table, before hanging my head in embarrassment. "When I got separated from you, Satoshi, and Yasuchika, I was cornered by that zombie girl that scared us. She had two other girls with her, and they chased me through the North Wing. At first, I tried to make it out of the school and back home, but they continued to follow me, even when I ran for cover in the _South_ Wing."

"They followed after you?" Tao repeated astounded. "That was against the rules."

"I know," I answered, lifting my head up. "But anyway, I fell on a tarp of maple syrup at the bottom of the staircase; and when I finally made it out the main entrance of the school, something came towards me, and I fell into a bucket of feathers. There was a flash of light after that, which I assume was a camera flash that took this picture."

Tao gasped in shock. "Who would do such a thing?"

"I'm not sure," I answered. "They obviously knew me, because they addressed me by my name."

The brunette-haired girl put a chin to her finger in thought. "I'm not exactly sure who would want to go after you. Are you close friends with any of the other girls in our class?"

"No, not really. It's just you, Yasuchika, and Satoshi."

"Strange... they knew who you were, and still broke the rules by crossing the wing limits." Then she glanced up at me. "You said there were three of them right?"

I nodded, but before I could say anything, a familiar snobbish voice spoke from above me. "Wow, Katherine-san, who knew a karate master like you were a big chicken." I glanced up to find Kimiko, staring down at the newspaper, while her lackeys looked on over her shoulder, smirking to themselves. "It's a good thing you were able to dodge the chef's because you would've been on the menu."

With that, she turned on her heel with Ochira and Momoka in tow, laughing menacingly at their leader's remark. I stared at them as they walked on. Suddenly, realization dawned on me. The three girls, who dared to cross the boundaries of the Halloween event, didn't follow the rules of that class because they weren't even in that class at all! The three girls, who knew me by my name, would do anything to publicly humiliate me in front of my closest companions, for reasons I wasn't sure why.

Anger took over all my emotions as I gritted my teeth together and stared at the trio of girls, cackling like hyenas. Even at the beginning of a new term, I was gracious enough to give them mercy and allow us all to start over. Apparently they didn't get the memo. I gripped the newspaper in my hand as rage burned inside of me. I wanted to harm those girls so badly that they would be in full body casts for months, but I knew I couldn't show violence on school property. I had to do something to those three, especially Kimiko.

"K.C.," I heard Tao's voice speak calmly from across the table.

Ignoring her, I pushed my chair back and walked away from the table, heading straight for the terrible-threesome.

"K.C., wait!" Tao's voice rang out through the cafeteria as she slid her chair back and stood up.

I didn't acknowledge her. I was to infuriated with Kimiko at the moment. As much as I wanted to, I couldn't physically injure her, especially in the cafeteria with hundreds of witnesses. At the moment, I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I couldn't ignore her for the rest of the school year, or else she'd continue bullying me. Someone had to stand up to her.

"Harikoshi-san!" I shouted.

Kimiko, as well as Momoka and Ochira, stopped as the three of them turned to me. "What do you want?" Kimiko inquired, resting her hand on her hip.

"Maybe you want to be cooked medium rare," Momoka suggested tauntingly.

"Or well done," Ochira added.

The three girls began laughing amongst themselves, but I clenched my hands into fists, ready to smack those bleached teeth out of their mouths.

"Enough!" I shouted.

The three girls stopped and glanced at me. Kimiko smirked as she folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, look, guys. It seems this little chick can cook herself with her own temper."

"Stop it, Kimiko!" I hollered.

The entire cafeteria grew silent as I was not only stared down by the terrible-threesome, but the entire cafeteria. I was sure that the teachers at their tables had stopped their meeting to glance over wondering what in the world was going on. As I glanced from the corner of my eyes, I noticed that the table the hosts typically sat at was empty, so they must've been outside, or in the clubroom preparing holding a meeting.

"Temper, temper, sweetie," Kimiko teased, wagging her finger.

I growled at her, ready to pounce, but I felt a hand gently being placed on my shoulder. I relaxed somewhat as I glanced over to find Tao standing beside me with a '_Don't-get-yourself-into-this'_ look.

"Oh, so now the transfer chicken's got a little tag-along with her," Kimiko spoke to her lackeys.

"Kimiko," Tao hissed. "Shut up."

"Speaking of which, where did you transfer from exactly?" Kimiko questioned.

Obviously she knew the answer already. She just wanted me to say it out loud in front of all the students present, since our battle was more interesting than the chat they were previously having.

"I... I'm from... America," I managed to stammer out.

"Wow, half way across the globe," the ring leader commented, raising her voice somewhat as if she wanted the entire cafeteria to hear. "Are your parents' expanding their business overseas? Is that why they sent you here?"

"No," I answered, hanging my head.

"Oh. So, they sent you here because you had some issues at your last school?"

"No."

"Then, how did you get into Ouran Academy? Did you sneak in?"

"Kimiko," Tao hissed warningly again.

"Tao," I spoke calmly, facing her.

She glanced up at me and nodded. A few weeks after the second term began, I told Tao about being a scholarship student, and she promised not to tell anyone, I didn't want to be the outcast of this school, but since Kimiko was persistent to get the truth out of me, I might as well spill it out to the whole school.

"I... I'm on a... scholarship

"A scholarship?" Kimiko repeated, faking surprise. "Oh, so your parents want to save some money? I mean, you _are _rich after all... right?"

I swallowed hard as I stared at the raven-haired ring leader as a smirk spread across her face. I couldn't break down in front of her, or the other students for that matter.

Taking in a deep breath, and releasing it, I hung my head. "No... I'm not."

"Wait, you mean to say that you've been faking the entire time," Kimiko proclaimed, enunciating a few words out loud. "So, you lied. You couldn't afford this school, so you attempted to get a scholarship. You made up a little lie to try and fit in with the other rich kids of this school." Then, she scoffed. "At least you had enough fingers crossed to actually get accepted."

I hung my head, not knowing what else to say.

"You're a real jerk, you know," Tao snapped at Kimiko.

"At least I'm not a big fat liar like Chicken Little."

That was it! Kimiko had crossed the line right there! Everyone has their breaking points, and Kimiko Harikoshi definitely drove me passed that point. I couldn't break down in tears though. I had to stand up and fight back, not physically.

"Kimiko, stop talking to me like that," I spoke raising my voice, not so much that I was yelling. "This... this feud between you and me has gone on long enough. I may not be rich like 98% of the students here, but I'm a much better person than someone who feels good about herself, because she makes everyone feel terrible. If you still want to tease me, then that's fine; but it'll still just show that you're nothing but a bully."

Silence fell in the cafeteria as I felt pairs of hundreds of eyes locked on to me. I ignored the gazes from the other students and teachers as I continued to stare at Kimiko, with my eyes narrowed. Ochira and Momoka glanced up at their leader, who had her glare locked onto me, and the two lackeys mimicked her gaze.

Then, Kimiko scoffed. "Whatever. I've wasted enough of my time with you, commoner."

With that, she turned on her heel and strode through the cafeteria with her followers in tow. Momoka and Ochira glanced over their shoulder at me once with rather shameful expressions; and I could've sworn I saw them mouth the words "Gomen nasai". Well, they were too far away, so they could've been whispering to each other.

I sighed, and then I turned to Tao. "Come on, let's finish up lunch."

With that, I turned and walked back over to the table, while Tao followed wordlessly; and then the low murmur of the student surrounding us began again, obviously chatting about what occurred. As soon as Tao and I sat down in our seats, we continued our lunch in silence. I was still inwardly fuming with the terrible-threesome for getting involved with the Class1-A Halloween event and posting it in the school's newspaper. Then, nearly the entire school witnessed me standing up to her. Humiliating, but I was to enraged to be totally embarrassed.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Whoohoo! Way to go K.C.! You made the front cover of the paper!"

My face reddened as I stared at yet another copy of the school paper the twins held in their hands. It was terrible enough that my secret about being a commoner was spilled out in the cafeteria, and as I walked to the Host Club, I noticed some of the students reading the article, giving me a quick glance as I passed by.

Remembering what occurred during lunch period, I gritted my teeth together and narrowed my eyes. Snatching the paper from the two brothers' hands, I tore it in half, and then in half again and again until there were eighths of the paper crumbled in my fists. Hikaru and Kaoru stared at my confused as I stormed over to the nearest trash bin and slammed the shredded remains inside.

"What's up with you?" Hikaru asked as I stormed back over to them.

"Yeah, you're redder than a tomato," Kaoru added.

Ignoring their remarks, I stomped passed the brothers and towards the back of the room. All of the hosts, except for Kyoya, glanced up and watched me as I entered the kitchen. My eyes widened as the door swung closed behind me. There, on the counter, was yet another copy of the newspaper. Whoever put it there, obviously wanted me to see it; but after what I had gone through today, I had seen enough papers with pictures of my retreating figure covered in feathers.

Grabbing the paper, I pushed open the kitchen door with a yell, hurling the papers across the room. I watched as it slid across the floor before colliding with a pillar. Today hadn't been the best of days for me; in fact, as soon as the second term began, everything began going downhill. Right now, I was still ticked off with Kimiko for what he did earlier that I had no time to dwell on the past months.

Spinning around on my heel, I stormed back into the kitchen, and then turned around. With all the force I could muster, I pushed the door back, only to have it boomerang back towards me. I jumped out of the way before the door could come into contact with my face, and then I smacked my forehead with my hand. _Right... Swinging door... _I thought to myself, wondering why in the world I was such an idiot.

Holding the door back open, I peered into the room to find that the hosts were still gazing at me with quizzical expressions. "Pretend that I just slammed this," I spoke.

Then, I reeled my head back in and released the door, allowing it to swing back and forth until it stopped. I sighed as I grabbed my apron and tied it around my waist. It was wrong not to acknowledge the twins, as well as blow up in front of everyone earlier, but I had to blow off some steam. _Some_ of it anyway. The rest was still bottled up inside me, which I would release while punching my innocent pillow once I got back to my apartment.

"Katherine-hime?" a melodic voice inquired from the doorway.

I slowly glanced over my shoulder, with my eyes still narrowed into a glare, only to find the Host Club president. The two of us stared at each other in silence, and Tamaki appeared to be frozen stiff like a block of ice as he gazed down at me.

Turning around to face him, I inquired, "So, are you going to say something or what?"

From what I heard, my voice sounded like venom, which caused Tamaki to stiffen up in fear. A few moments after that, he whirled around on his heel, and then bolted out of the kitchen screaming: "She's worse than Hunny-senpai and Kyoya put together after they've been woken up!"

I sighed, watching the door swing back and forth, and then I turned to face the kitchen. The desserts weren't going to prepare themselves, and I couldn't snap my fingers or wiggle my nose, organizing the pastries on the cart in a split second. Pulling out a cake and setting it on the counter, I took a tub of icing and dipped the spreading knife inside, and then lathering the cake in a creamy white color. I had to stay focused, so I couldn't allow my mind to wander back to the event in the cafeteria, or else I might beat up the innocent cake in my fit of rage.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Thankfully, club hours flew by quickly. The counters had been wiped clean, and the left over cakes had been placed back in the refrigerator for Hunny in case he wanted something to snack on. I sighed exhaustedly as I hung up my apron, and then I slung the strap of my bag over my shoulder and pushed the kitchen door open.

Barely any sunlight entered through the giant windows of the clubroom. Winter was definitely drawing near. The days were going to be shorter, and the nights were going to be longer. The trees had already lost nearly half of their colors, and the temperature continued to decrease day by day. The beauty of autumn was drawing to an end, but nature would soon come to life as soon as spring came around.

As I gazed around the clubroom, I found everyone doing their regular after-club activities. Mori was watching over Hunny, who was munching on a piece of cake, and Tamaki was bickering with the twins. Haruhi had already left for home, and Kyoya presumable had too, since he was nowhere in sight. I began to walk across the room and towards the door, but then my arm was seized by another pair of arms, and I was dragged over towards a table.

"Come have some cake with me, K.C.-chan," the Lolita's cute voice rang as he attempted to seat me into a chair.

"Actually, Hunny-senpai," I spoke sadly, "I-"

Of course, as I gazed down at him, I could see tears beginning well up in his wobbly copper-brown eyes. My heart began to ache at the sad-puppy-dog look on his face. I just had to give in.

"Maybe just a slice or two wouldn't hurt," I spoke with a small smile.

Hunny's face brightened up, and then he pulled me down into the seat beside Mori. "Do you want chocolate, cheesecake, or strawberry?"

"Um... which one do you like best?" I asked.

"Strawberry!"

I giggled. "Then I'll have a slice of strawberry, please."

Without hesitation, Hunny stood up and skipped over to a nearby cart, taking a plate of cake from the middle tray. Then, he skipped happily back over to the table, setting the plate in front of me. "Here you go, K.C.-chan!"

"Arigatou, senpai," I spoke, picking up a fork and chopping of the corner of the cake.

Hunny smiled back as he took a seat across from me. As soon as I shoveled the piece of dessert into my mouth, I smiled as I chewed the heavenly tasting dessert. Even though I only decorated the cakes, they sure tasted out of this world! Afterwards, I went back for another piece; this time with the strawberry on top, and then popped it into my mouth.

"Do you like strawberries, K.C.-chan?" Hunny inquired.

I nodded as I swallowed the chewed bits of the seed covered fruit, but then I noticed a fork push another strawberry onto my plate. Curious, I glanced up to find Mori gazing down at me with a small smile, and I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You can have my strawberry if you'd like," he spoke in that deep voice of his.

A slight blush crossed my cheeks, but I smiled anyway. "Thanks, Mori-senpai. That's very thoughtful."

"So, K.C., you feeling okay?" two voices spoke in unison from behind me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I found the twins leaning over the back of the sofa.

"I'm fine you guys," I answered, turning back around and taking another bite of cake.

"That's a lie," the spoke together.

"So what if it is?" I inquired. "Why would you guys even care?"

"Because we're your friends, K.C.-chan," Hunny spoke. "You're a friend to all of us: Me, Takashi, Tama-chan, Haru-chan, Hika-chan, Kao-chan, and even Kyo-chan."

"You're with family at the Host Club, remember?" Tamaki inquired, walking up to the table.

I gazed down at my plate in thought. I understood that we were all close friends with each other, and we treated each other like a real family. The twins were great at acting like the annoying older brothers, that was for sure; but, they weren't annoying _all_ the time.

I sighed. "I'm sorry I blew up in front of all of you guys earlier. I've just had a rough day, that's all."

"Does it have something to do with making the front cover of the paper?" Kaoru asked.

"Sort of," I answered, and I popped another slice of cake into my mouth.

"When Kyoya first brought in the paper, we were all shocked," Hikaru spoke.

"That I was secretly a chicken?" I asked sarcastically.

"No. Why someone would publically humiliate you," Kaoru answered.

"That had to have done it for a reason," Tamaki added, placing a hand to his chin in thought.

"Well, I know who did it," I spoke, scooping the last slice of cake up with my fork. "Don't worry, I confronted them about it."

"That's good," Hunny spoke up. "We were all worried that you'd be too embarrassed to show up. Even Kyo-chan was worried."

I scoffed as I set my fork on the empty plate. "Probably because the Host Club chef wouldn't make any profits for the club."

"Kyoya may not look like it at first, Katherine, but he does have feelings," Tamaki spoke.

"He just doesn't like to show it," the twins added.

I glanced from each of the hosts, and then down at my empty plate. Now everything began to make sense to me. Everything about Kyoya just seemed to tie together. "Where is Ootori-san anyway?"

"He went to drop something off at my father's office," Tamaki answered. "I think that he's heading home after that."

"Well, thank you Hunny-senpai for inviting me to have cake with you," I spoke, standing up with the plate in my hand.

"You're welcome," he answered with a cheery smile.

"Where are you going, K.C.?" the twins inquired.

I smirked as I began to walk towards the kitchen. "I have a meeting with the Shadow King."

"Well in that case," the masters of mischief spoke as they walked over to me.

"Let us take _this_ for you," Hikaru spoke, taking the dish from my hand.

"So you won't be late for your meeting," Kaoru added.

I turned to them and smiled, and then I threw my arms around their necks. "Thanks, you guys."

After releasing them, I turned and walked out of the club room saying my good-bye to the rest of the hosts.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as I stepped out of the Third Music Room, I quickly rushed down the benighted corridors, which were barely lit by the light of the moon. I raced around each corner, careful not to run into any tables or trip on the floor along the way. I had to talk to Kyoya and make amends for everything that happened up until now. I had to tell him now, there was no time to lose.

Once I raced around the next corner, I collided into someone else and fell back on my rear. After taking a few minutes to digest what had just occurred, I jerked my head up to see who I had collided into, and I nearly gasped.

"Gomen nasai, Ootori-senpai," I spoke, helping him to his feet.

Once he stood up straight, he adjusted his glasses, which hung crooked by his ears. "Arigatou, Johnson-san." As soon as he straightened everything out, he glanced down at me. "Why were you in such a rush."

"I... I was trying to... trying to find you... before you left," I answered hesitantly.

"I see. Well," he added with that trademark grin on his face, "it's a good thing you didn't smash anything else from that collision."

I chuckled sheepishly as I gazed up at him. "Yeah, or else I'd probably be the Host Club's chef for life."

"So, did you want to talk to me about something?" he inquired, in that serious business tone.

"Um... yeah," I answered. "I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted before hosting hours began today, and..." my voice trailed off, as I rubbed my arm with my hand embarrassingly, "and I also want to apologize for the way I acted... back at your estate in September."

"Apology accepted. Now if you'll excuse me," he added, turning halfway, "my chauffer is waiting outside."

I watched as he turned around and began to walk down the hall. I could just feel my mind and heart at battle with each other, with my mind fighting for the _'Tell-him-later'_ side, while my heart fought for the _'Tell-him-now-while-you-still-have-the-opportunity' _side.

After taking in a deep breath, I released it. "Kyoya, wait."

I inhaled sharply, realizing that that was the first time in months that I addressed him by his name. Well, he responded to it by stopping and turning to face me. His face was still serious, but it wasn't his usual _'Spit-it-out-and-stop-wasting-my-time'_ face. With the little illumination from the moonlight, I was able to identify a look of confusion. _All right,_ I told myself, _This is it. You have his attention now, so give it all you've got._

"Listen, senpai," I spoke walking up to him. "I misjudged you that day at your home. At a first glance, you may seem like a selfish, conceited person; but the reason why you didn't care about ruining my bracelet was because you don't really understand the strong bond between siblings who love each other. You're in a rivalry with yours. But, you have a goal, and won't stop at nothing until you achieve it. You're pressured by your father to do more than you normally can, just to prove him that you deserve Ootori Medical more than your older brothers. You have friends, especially the hosts, and you're part of their family. But when you need to work you, distance yourself from them. That's why you work yourself past midnight nearly every night; and you also wear a mask, concealing your feelings inside. You won't allow _anyone _to get in your way of achieving your one main goal; you don't even want your emotions getting in the way, especially not your feelings for your close friends."

As soon as I ended, Kyoya stared down at me rather surprised. I mentally smirked knowing that I was probably the first person to figure him all out. I had finally put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together revealing the picture not just of a hardworking possibly heir to the family's company, but a young boy pressured by his family, especially his strict father.

Then, I realized the last part of what I had said. Kyoya put his goal before anyone else, even though who he cared about, especially his friends. My heart felt like it was being stabbed as I thought more about it. Kyoya may or may not have feelings for me, but either way, he still put his goal first before anything, or ayone for that matter.

I sighed as I walked around him and took a few steps down the hall. Before traveling any further, I turned back to face him. "If inheriting your family business is the most important to you... I understand."

After that, I turned back and walked down the hall. Well, at least I was able to get everything off my chest. I finally understood why Kyoya acted like a businessman 99.9% of the time, and everything that Haruhi and the other hosts told me about him, the puzzle pieces just came together.

Descending down the staircase to the bottom level, I walked onward down the dark corridors until I reached the main entrance. I cringed remembering what occurred Friday night, but then I shook it off, knowing that the booby-traps were taken down, so I had nothing else to fear. Sighing, I closed the door behind me and walked down the stone pathway out of the school and down the sidewalk towards my apartment.

* * *

**Yeah! You tell 'er, K.C.! Sorry, I was still thinking back to when K.C. was confronting Kimiko. ^.^**

**Yeah, this one was a little shorter than the others, but trust me, there's gonna be some short ones and long ones.**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter. And new readers, I hope you've liked my story so far! :)**

**Rate and Review guys!**

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	26. Cheritable Moments

**Hey, guys! I'm Baaaaack~!**

**I am so so So SO SOOOOOOOOOO sorry I haven't uploaded in a while. I had this HUGE art project to work on, so I didn't have much time at the end of the day to write anything...**

**Well, now that I HAVE had time to write it up, it's time for you guys to read it and tell me whatcha think! Sorry, it's kinda short... I haven't had many ideas for this chapter, but i have plenty of ideas for the rest! I just wanted to have something in between to keep the story from feeling like it was rushed. Of course, I won't tell you guys about my chapter ideas, you'll just have to wait and see! )**

**I WILL tell you guys this: there's some fluff in this chapter for those of you who are SatoshixTao fans! :D.**

**Hehe... I guess I should stop blabbing and let you guys read!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing Ouran-High-School-Host-Club-related... blah blah blah, you guys get the picture...**

**Claimer: I own my OC's!**

**

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**~ Chapter 26 ~**

**Cheritable Moments**

The chilling, mid-autumn breeze flowed through the courtyard, swaying the half naked branches of the trees back and forth in their flow. The floral arrangements within the garden had wilted into nothing but bud-less shrubs. The courtyard and garden were unoccupied by any student. It was like a deserted wasteland.

As much of an outdoors person as I was, I decided to stay in the library; and thankfully there wasn't so much noise this time. It wasn't that I despised the cold wintertime. The weather was just too cold outside to bear. In fact, it felt like it was nearly below zero! Even for mid-November! I'm sure that it was, at least, forty degrees or more back home, but, man, I couldn't take a step outside without any goose bumps forming on my skin.

I sat at the table in the library flipping through the pages of a history book. There was a research paper due by the end of the second trimester, which gave me an entire month to choose a topic, gather the information I would need, and then, of course, write my paper. During that time, I would be spending as much time as I could in the library searching through the books. Of course, all I had to do was pull a book of the shelf, flip to the index and try to find some information about the topic and jot it down on a note card. After that, I would move on to the next book, repeating the same process.

Yeah... boring. But, of course, the only time I could visit the library was the last half of lunch. Sometimes, I barely ate, just so that I could use just as much of my time working on my project; plus, the library was closed once club hours were finished.

One afternoon, I found myself walking down the halls from the cafeteria towards the library with my messenger bag slung over my shoulder. I was the only one roaming the hallways since nearly the entire population of the school was in the banquet-hall-like lunchroom. Well, at least, I _thought_ I was the only one in the hallways.

"...and I might as well tell you now while we're here," a timid female voice spoke from around the corner.

Containing my gasp of surprise, I jumped back behind the corner and peered my head around. There were two figures standing in front of each other. Both were high school students, one male and one female. The girl had long, wavy brunette hair and fair skin, while the boy was a couple of inches taller than the girl, and owned spiky black hair. I quickly recognized them as the two other first-years in my class.

_Is Tao confessing to Satoshi already?_ I pondered.

After Tao had given up the nerve to converse with the younger Morinozuka during the Fright Night set up, the two began to have regular conversations with each other every so often, even though they were brief. Just a week ago those two had become good friends, but Tao was admitting her feelings for the boy _now_? Was it too soon?

Tao stood there with her head hung, most likely trying to piece her words together. Satoshi gazed down at her awaiting for her to speak up again. _Come on, Tao._ I mentally spoke to her, desperately wishing that I had telepathy. _He'll never know unless you tell him!_

The brunette inhaled deeply, and then released it before glancing back up at the younger Morinozuka. "I... I'm not sure how I'm going to say this, but... but I've always had a fondness for you, Morinozuka-san. Ever since that day in Middle School, where you shared your text book with me because I forgot my copy, I... I guess that's when... I fell in love with you..."

I pursed my lips together as she spoke. _Oh no, I hope that doesn't creep Satoshi out and make Tao feel a little stalker-ish..._

It seemed that Tao had digested what she just spoke, because she blushed and looked away slightly. "What I mean to say is, Morinozuka-san, I... I would at times glance up and gaze from afar, not follow you around or anything like that." She paused, allowing her face to return to its natural color, and then she glanced up at the dark-skinned boy. "A friend of mine once told me that if you are fond of someone, you have to get to know them better first, and take the relationship step by step. That is... if you're willing to take this relationship further..."

I smiled, glad to know that Tao saw me as a friend. After being backstabbed by her once-best-friend, Kimiko, it was most likely difficult for her to trust anyone. I was just glad that Tao was able to trust me, especially in her time of need.

"If you don't want to... I understand," Tao added, hanging her head. "Especially if there's someone else that had your heart."

_No, Tao, don't be so negative about it! You should've AT LEAST remembered that part of what I told you!_ I mentally chided her.

There was silence between the two. Tao glanced up at the younger Morinozuka boy, who glanced away in though while rubbing the back of his head with his hand. As I stared at her, I could almost feel the intense atmosphere between the two of them. Even though I wasn't involved in their conversation, I was nearly about to scream "_Say something!_" but, I held it back for fear of being discovered, and instead crossed my fingers.

After what seemed like ages of suspense, Satoshi sighed and glanced back down at Tao. "I appreciate that you have feelings for me Jinjou-san, but..."

He trailed off, glancing down the hallway again. _But… what?_ I pondered. _Oh no, please don't tell me that he's already found someone else... or worse, already in an arranged marriage._ This was turning out to be one heck of a "Romeo and Juliet" story, except for the fact that the parents didn't despise each other, hopefully not anyway.

I could see Tao's face deepen in worry, and it looked as if she were about to start crying, most likely thinking that she was going to be turned down right then and there. The brunette looked down at the floor blinking rapidly to rid her tears, and my heart began to ache at the sight.

_If you have to put her down, Satoshi, put her down easy..._ I spoke in my mind.

Once again, there was suspense eating away at both Tao and me as well. I felt like I was watching one of those TV dramas, where when the show is becoming intense it either cuts to commercial, or has "To Be Continued...". Honestly, I couldn't stand when _that _happened!

Satoshi sighed and glanced back down at Tao. "I'll consider it."

After that, he gave Tao a small smile before walking down the hall, in the opposite direction of me. The brunette girl only stood there, rooted in her spot as she watched the boy of her dreams shrink the further he strode down the hall. I smiled pleasantly at Tao as she sighed dreamily, while a smile spread from ear to ear. At least Satoshi didn't turn her down! Well, there was still a possibility that he might, since he was considering her proposal to further their relationship.

I was proud of her. Tao was able to suck up her fears and stand face to face with Satoshi while the two of them were along in the halls. Well, at least _they thought_ they were alone; but still, at least Tao was able to come out of her shell and confess her feelings for the younger Morinozuka. Now, all she had to wait for was an answer, and I would keep my fingers crossed until then.

At least she was able to admit her feelings to the she had fallen in love with. Well, I did too, but Kyoya was asleep at the time, so that probably didn't count. We weren't friends... not yet anyway. But, it would probably take a week or so to rebuild out acquaintanceship status before moving forward.

Turning and walking in the opposite direction, I turned a few corners, taking a short-cut to the library. As much as I wanted to think back on earlier with Tao and Satoshi, I had to stay focused on my project that was due.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Like usual, time flew by in the library, scanning information through the book, and jotting down important notes that I would place in my report. I wasn't counting, but i had probably gone through at least two or three different books for information. Hey, I was kind of a slow reader; plus, I was translating everything into English so that I could better understand it.

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period, I packed my notebooks and paper away in my satchel, and then placed the books on the book cart for the staff to reorganize them onto the shelves. Afterwards, I strode down the hall, until a met a group of students filing into the first-year classroom. Following the queue of pale yellow and blue, I curved around the desks until I finally sat down in mine.

Gathering all my essentials for this class, I placed them on my desk, and then opened to a fresh page in my notebook. There were a few minutes until class began, so I subtly glanced over my shoulder at the two cousins. My main attention was on Satoshi, who, from what I noticed, gave a quick glance from the corner of his eyes over at Tao, who sat a few rows to the right of us.

I assumed that the younger Morinozuka was still contemplating over the proposal of furthering his friendship with Tao; nevertheless, I continued to keep my fingers crossed, hoping that he would take her up on the offer. For some reason, I had a feeling that Satoshi _may_ actually have a fondness for the brunette girl. I mean, the two have known each other since... well, as far as I understood, Middle School. They were acquaintances then, and just recently, they began to develop a friendship.

From what I witnessed earlier that day, Satoshi was hesitant to answer Tao's offer, and decided to consider it for the remainder of the school day. Why was he hesitant? Either he felt pressured because it was so sudden, or didn't know what to say at the time because he had a fondness for Tao. Well, only time will tell and give that answer.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"K.C.!" a voice echoed down the hall.

I stopped and turned to find a female, high school student with dark, wavy hair and fair skin rush up to me. A wide smile was spread across her face, and just when I thought she was going to stop in front of me, she instead threw her arms around me in a tight embrace.

"T-Tao? What's... what's going on?" I inquired.

The brunette released me and began to jump around in circles. "Yes! It's a YES!"

"What's 'a yes'?" I inquired.

Tao ceased her hyper-active bouncing around, like a little Energizer Bunny, and released a deep breath, ridding herself of her energy. A few moments passed as I waited for her to say something, and then she finally faced me.

"Well, today during part of lunch period," she began. "I... I kind of told Morinozuka-san how I felt."

I smiled as I gazed down at her, even though I already knew about that. "That's great, Tao."

"There's more," she added. "I asked him if he wanted to further our relationship from good friends to... boyfriend and girlfriend."

There was a tint of pink forming on her cheeks as she said that last part. That, I also knew about as well, but I had to make it seem like I was receiving the news for the first time. I know that I had been told to be a terrible liar, but hopefully I could pull something off.

"You weren't too forward with it, were you?" I inquired.

"Oh, no," she answered. "At least, hopefully not... But, anyway, he said that he would consider my offer for the rest of the day. And, well, at the end of class, as soon as I left the room, he said that he wanted to speak with me privately; and... it turned out that he had come to a conclusion..."

The brunette trailed off at this point. Everything started to connect together at this moment. Why Tao was so cheerful, and saying that it was "a YES!".

"What did he say?" I inquired, hoping that my act was working.

A wide smile spread across her face as she threw her arms around me again. "He said YES!"

"That's great, Tao!" I spoke. Then, I sighed. "I'm proud that you were able to give up the nerves to talk to him."

"Yeah," she added, releasing me. "I owe it all to you, Katherine. I mean, you were the one who prepped me throughout the year, and I guess all that training paid off."

I chuckled at her remark. "Well, at least you were able to tell _your_ love."

"Katherine."

"Hmmm."

"Who was it?"

"Who?"

"The boy _you_ were in love with."

I gazed down at her silent, and then I glanced away not sure of how to answer. I didn't want to hide it from her, but I had to get to the club to prepare everything for the afternoon. So, I would just have to create my reply to be brief and understandable.

"Let's just say, he's an upperclassman," I spoke.

Tao cocked her head to the side as she raised an eyebrow. Sure, it was a little vague, but at least she could take a guess. I smiled down at her, and then bid her farewell as I traveled down the hall.

I felt terrible that I had to hide the fact that I was formerly in love with Kyoya... I was _formerly_ in love with him, right? Urgh! It was too confusing! I was fond of him, but I quickly turned away once I realized that Kyoya Ootori was nothing but a cold and calculating person. Of course, I was able to understand that he only acted that way because he had a goal to achieve and wouldn't allow _anything _to distract him until he received it.

As soon as the thought passed through my mind, a slight blush crept upon my cheeks. Maybe... maybe Kyoya _did_ have a fondness for me. He just didn't show it because he always wore that mask around in public and put his work before his friends and feelings. There was a 50/50 chance that the Shadow King may or may not have feelings for me. It seemed illogical once I thought about it more. I mean, I was a commoner, what good would I do him?

Or more importantly... what good would I do for his family?

From what I observed, his father was a strict man, always keeping Kyoya under his thumb, placing a huge ammount on his youngest son's plate. Obviously, Mr. Ootori was all about making sure the family line looked good, no matter what. If Kyoya had married a commoner, would that ruin his family's image? I didn't want to do _that_ to him.

Releasing a deep sigh, I turned around the corner and made my way towards the staircase.

Before I could scale it, however, I was met with a _very _familiar call: "K.C.-chan!"

Bracing for impact, I allowed the honey-blonde, Lolita host jump onto me and wrap his arms around my neck while he giggled. I managed to plaster a smile on my lips, while the eighteen-year-old rubbed the side of his head against mine.

"Hey, Hunny-senpai," I spoke. Then, I noticed his tall, dark-skinned cousin walk up to me. "Mori-senpai."

"Where are you going, K.C.-chan?" the Lolita boy inquired, locking his eyes onto mine.

"To the clubroom," I answered simply. "It's club hours, isn't it?"

Both the stoic host and the Loli-shota nodded in reply, but only the cake-loving child-like host verbally answered: "Everyone's meeting outside today.

"Oh, all right," I answered. "Do they need any help setting things up?"

Hunny shook his head. "We're taking the day off from hosting, right Takashi?"

"Yeah," his cousin answered, nodding his head.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion as I stared at the two oldest hosts. They were all taking the day off from hosting? What if some of them had tons of homework and needed to go home and finish it? Well, maybe it was a mandatory thing... either that or everyone wanted to enjoy an afternoon to themselves. It was a possibility.

"Wanna join us, K.C.-chan?" Hunny inquired. "It'll be loads of fun! Plus, you need a break. You work a lot at the club."

"I don't know... is it not too cold outside?" I inquired.

"It's warmed up since this morning," Hunny replied with a smile, "but we'll be running around a lot."

I stared at the eighteen-year-old, who only grinned from ear to ear. It was very thoughtful of Hunny to be considerate, and understand how much effort I put into working "behind the scenes" in the club. As much as I knew that I had to get back to my apartment to work, I couldn't stand to see the boy upset if I did say "no".

Releasing a deep breath, I pulled on a half-smile. "Sure, senpai, I'll join you guys."

"Hooray!" Hunny cheered, throwing his arms around me again. "We're gunna have tons of fun K.C.-chan!"

I smiled as his jovial childlikeness, and I couldn't help but join in on his cheerful laughter. With Hunny hitching a ride on Mori's shoulders, we walked out of the school building and turned the corner to where the garden was placed. The others hosts were gathered together in a group, and the club president smiled one he caught sight of the two older hosts.

"Ah, there you two are," he spoke as we stopped in front of him. "And, Katherine-hime, you've come to join us?"

I shrugged. "I might as well. Besides," I added with a smile, "I'm technically part of this club."

Tamaki laughed and draped an arm around my shoulders. "That you are, my dear. Now, which game do you propose we play?"

"Game?"

"Yes, a commoner's game!"

_Did he have to call it __**that**__?_

"Last year, Haruhi introduced us to a couple of games," the twins explained. "Like kick the can and a few others."

"My favorite is Hide and Seek!" Hunny chirped from atop Mori's shoulders.

"So, do you have any other commoner games in mind, K.C.?" Tamaki inquired eagerly.

"Um... let me think," I spoke, placing a finger on my chin while glancing up at the sky.

Since we were all still in our uniforms, I didn't want to risk coming up with any games that could possibly plant grass stains on their dress pants, or ruin their blazers. It was difficult to decide. Nearly every game played outside could possibly involve a stain to appear on their uniform.

"What do you guys have in mind?" I inquired, glancing back at the group.

"Well, our favorite game so far is Kick the Can," the twins answered.

"Is it all right with you guys is we play _that_?" I asked.

"Of course, my dear!" Tamaki chirped. "All right, now who's going to be 'it'?"

Silence fell on the group as Tamaki glanced around at each of us individually. No one said a word or made a movement, and glanced from each other hoping that someone would step in and take the spot as 'it'. But, apparently, nobody wanted that position.

"Since The Boss agreed to it, he should be 'it' first," the twins suggested.

"What?" Tamaki cried. He released me and strode over to the twins. "I was 'it' the last time we played this!"

"Yeah," Hikaru answered.

"Months ago," Kaoru added.

"It's not fair! Why do you two shady twins _always_ have to pick me first?" Tamaki whined.

"Here they go again..." I overheard Haruhi grumble.

I sighed as I watched the three hosts continue to squabble. It was starting to become rather tiresome of those three constantly arguing over some frivolous thing. Now they were arguing over who was going to be 'it'? Honestly, that was rather immature. I mean, no one would be 'it' forever.

Suddenly an idea came to me. A smirk crossed my face as I gently nudged Haruhi with my elbow and then Mori. Once I had both of their attention, I subtly placed my finger on my nose and glanced from the two of them, who stared blankly at me. Once the thought registered in their minds, they placed their finger on their noses as well. Mori instructed Hunny to do so, and eventually Kyoya caught on and did the same thing. After a few moments, the twins caught a glance of us from the corner of their eyes and simultaneously placed a finger to their noses, allowing Tamaki to be the only one blabbing and whining.

The Host Club president soon realized that he was the only one speaking, and then he gazed around at us with a confused look. "What are you all doing?"

"The last one to touch their nose is 'it', senpai," I spoke.

"Come on, that's not fair!" Tamaki whined.

"Actually, it's logically fair," Kyoya spoke up for the first time during the whole conversation.

"But... but I want to be a hider!" Tamaki wailed.

"Senpai, just accept the fact that you were too busy arguing and you weren't paying attention," Haruhi spoke. "Once you capture someone, they'll be the next one to be 'it'."

Tamaki sucked in his lower lip and stood up straight. "All right, let's head out into the field, everyone!"

We all nodded comprehensively and strode out into a wide field in the middle of the garden. The twins were chosen to kick the can first, and they kicked it rather far into the bushes. As soon as the aluminum disappeared, the six of us took off running while Tamaki darted over to the area where he presumed the aluminum landed.

I ran around the field wondering how in the world I was going to pull this off. First off, I was in a dress, so that eliminated hiding up in a tree. _Behind _a tree was too easy... A thousand thoughts were racing through my mind as fast as I was running around the garden. It sure was hard to find a spot to conceal myself! As soon as I turned a corner, I gasped once I saw Tamaki mere feet away from placing the found can back in the spot where it formerly was. At this point I began to panic. The other hosts had most likely already found a spot to conceal themselves, and I was left out in the open.

Before I could turn around and run somewhere, an arm wrapped around my waist while a hand clamped around my mouth, keeping me from screaming. I tried to wriggle myself free, but I was pulled down into the bushes and landed roughly on my rear.

"Shhhh, keep still, Johnson," a calm, deep voice whispered from beside me.

I instantly froze at the sound of his voice. _Dare I look to make sure?_ I pondered. Glancing from the corner of my eye, I slowly turned my head to have a pair of smoke-gray eyes guarded by thin walls of glass locked onto my blue-green ones. Yep, my gut was right. Kyoya had pulled me down into the bush. Why though? Well, it was painstakingly obvious since I was the only one of the eight of us who didn't already have a hiding spot.

I tensed up realizing how close I was to the Ootori boy. With his arm still wrapped around me and his free hand covering my mouth, our bodies were pressed against each other's, and I could feel his body heat mingling with my own. My heart began to pound wildly in my chest that I was afraid that my ribs would break.

"Are you all right, Johnson-san?" Kyoya inquired from behind me.

His warm breath against my neck sent goose bumps crawling over my skin. I sat there frozen in place, and then I realized that I was holding my breath. When and why I did that, I'd never figure out...

"Mmmhmm," I hummed in reply since Kyoya's hand still covered my mouth.

Before either of us could say or do anything else, footsteps could be heard crunching the leaves. Tucking my knees around by my side, I pulled the skirt of my uniform in a well so that nothing was sticking out from underneath the bush. The two of us watched through the small windows of the leaves as Tamaki stopped in front of the bush and glanced around. After what seemed like ages, the club president began walking off in another direction, the echoing of crunching leaves growing silent the further he traveled.

Kyoya then released me, and we both released a deep breath.

"Hey, senpai," I spoke quietly, glancing over at him.

"Hmm?" he answered, pushing his glassed up his nose.

"I was just wondering," I began. "Why would you even become involved in this game? I mean, it doesn't really seem 'you'."

Kyoya only grinned as he gazed at me. "Sometimes I need to get my head out of the numbers."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion as I stared at him. I understood that he meant that he had to take a break from balancing the budget and everything; but... why did that saying sound so familiar. Where had I heard that before?

Before I could ask, Kyoya crawled on his knees and peered from a small opening in the bush. He glanced from side to side, most likely looking for any sign of the blonde host; then, Kyoya faced me, motioning me to follow him. I nodded understandingly and crawled out from underneath the bush. A few leaves were tangled in my hair, but I didn't mind. All that mattered was reaching the can.

I raced behind Kyoya who slowed his speed as he neared the can, and then reeled his leg back, kicking it far across the field. Not as far as the twins kicked it. While Kyoya ran off, most likely back to where he was formerly hiding, I found a spot over by a group of trees. I had to be quick since I knew that Tamaki was on his way back to reset the can and try to find someone.

I slouched against the tree, panting from exhaustion. I hadn't had this much fun in years. Joe and I used to play games out in the yard with each other, but that was only on the weekends when he was actually home. Well, at least I now had friends to spend time with, and I would sure miss them a whole lot once I was back in America.

"1, 2, 3, K.C.!" the joyful cry of the Host Club President exclaimed, breaking my thoughts.

With that, I was tapped on the shoulder. Startled, I whirled around to find Tamaki darting straight for the can, and I quickly hurried after him until we were both neck and neck. Sadly, I wasn't quick enough and Tamaki stood triumphantly with one foot on the can and a finger jabbed in the air. I smiled and shrugged it off and made my way towards the "jail" where Hunny stood gazing out at the field.

From where I stood, Haruhi was in an obvious spot that anyone could detect her, but it was obvious what the blonde host wouldn't tag her. I smiled as I rolled my eyes at the thought. Yep, it was great to have friends and enjoy spending time with them. From here until the end of the third trimester, I would cherish the last few days with everyone that i have become close to.

* * *

**Yays! Another chapter completed!**

**I hope that none of the characters were OOC... I've been working on this all night, and I have 3 hours until sunrise... Yeah, I'm an insomniac.**

**Anyways! You guys know the drill! Rate and Review!**

**Reviews to comments from last chapter (11! WOOOOOHOOOOO! NEWEST RECORD! XD)**

**Me and Gaara 4ever: Don't worry, I have somethin in mind for her as well as her little friends... *evil smile***

**Aurora-16: LOL Yeah, I bet that they really would taste bad! Yep, spoke her mind to both Kimiko and Kyoya! Yays! I love character development! Don't worry! There's a light at the end of the tunnel! Yay! Fruit!**

**Mrs. Ootori: LOL it's totally fine! ;)**

**SarahElupin: Haha! Yeah, me too!**

**AllyraMortlock: Yay for the both of them! :D**

**silverrain1312: Yes, the story has just turned the "Climax Corner". Yes, Mori's super arsome! I iz good with metaphors! Yes, fortune cookie people are arsome!**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Don't worry, I won't make ya wait too long ;)**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: I would NEVER disappoint my fans. I just like to give you guys epic climaxes and huge cliffhangers! *evil smile***

**xXanimeluver15Xx: LOL, yeah. Eh, take it easy on her, I don't have the money to pay for stunt doubles... Yes. Yes! YES! Ye-... wha? LOL that cracked me up just reading it!**

**BunnyNinja: Thanks!**


	27. Ninjas and Stage Fright

**What's up, Ouran fans and fanfiction readers?**

**It's that time again!**

**Yes! My creative juices are starting to flow once again! So, to say that I'm sorry for posting my last update late, I'm giving you guys not only a chapter with hints of fluff, but also a super-duper, extra-large loooong chapter with everything on it!**

**Anyways, here's the next installment of... "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In" !**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or its characters.**

**Claimer: I own all of my OC's including K.C. ! :)**

**

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**~ Chapter 27 ~**

**Ninjas and Stage Fright**

Frost plastered itself on the glass of the windows of the Academy. The trees had been half-stripped of their brightly-colored leaves, while an ash-gray blanket of clouds hovered over the earth, concealing the original bright blue sky. Mist danced on the koi pond in the garden below, while little animals scurried across the dry, colorless grass and to their homes, stashing their food supply for the winter.

I gazed out the window at the formerly, lush green garden. Why did autumn have to come and go so quickly? As I contemplated more on the subject, I realized that I had been attending for over half-a-year already. Time sure had flown. But, aside the hell of an afternoon every day, it was great to experience how a real school operated. I didn't make many friends, but at least I did; sadly, along with a couple of enemies as well. Before it would even occur to me, I would be sitting at my white, wooden desk in my room typing up an essay on my computer or working on a math problem. Well, it was a great run.

I sighed as I slouched back in my chair, gazing down at my open text book in front of me. Like a few others, I had arrived at class early. Of course, I had been daydreaming and gazing out the window for a while, so I assumed that more may have arrived while my mind was in another world.

"Hey, K.C.," spoke a cheerful voice from beside me.

Snapping out of my reverie, I glanced up and then smiled. "Hey, Tao. What's up?"

"Nothing much," she answered, pulling a nearby chair over towards me desk. "You seemed kind of zoned out, so I just came over to say 'hi'."

I smiled as thanks, but then it quickly disappeared as I glanced back out the window. "I've just been thinking."

Tao cocked her head to the side. "About what?"

Shrugging, I glanced back at her. "Things."

"Like what?"

I sighed. "It's just hard for me to believe how fast time has flown since I came to Japan."

"I know what you mean. For me, it seems like only yesterday I graduated from middle school. And before I even know it, I'll be graduating from high school."

"At least you'll get to graduate from _this_ school."

"What do you mean?"

I paused for a while, trying to summarize everything. "After graduation, I'm going to be heading back home to America."

Tao's eyes widened as she stared at me. "You're not staying?"

"How can I? I've only got one year here."

"Oh..."

Silence filled between us, and I began to feel more depressed as I gazed around the school room. After graduation, there would be no substitution for the wooden desk, no substitution for the teachers lecturing the class, and most importantly, no substitution for all the relationships I've begun to build with the hosts as well as a few of my classmates -well, it was really only Tao, Yasuchika, and Satoshi.

Deciding to change the subject and lighten up the mood, I faced Tao and smiled. "Well, after the final bell, it's the beginning of the weekend. Got any big plans."

There was a faint blush on Tao's cheeks as she glanced away slightly. "Well... I'm going to be... busy tomorrow."

I raised an eyebrow. "Family coming into town? Parents holding a party?"

The brunette girl shook her head, and then she glanced back at me. She was hesitant for a moment, but after releasing a deep breath to calm herself, she smiled. "I have a date."

My eyes widened as I stared at her astounded. "With Satoshi?"

The brunette nodded as the blush appeared on her cheeks again.

"That's great, Tao!" I remarked with a smile. "But, it's been two weeks, what took him so long to ask you out?"

"Schoolwork," she answered. "Plus, spending time with his brother since, you know, he's in college and all."

I nodded comprehendingly. It was too bad that I didn't attend Ouran when both Mori and Hunny were third-years, but at least I got to spend time with them at the Host Club. The two college boys were the first ones I requested at the Host Club because... well, Hunny was just so darn cute! I couldn't say "no" to his little face! It was still difficult to believe that he was eighteen.

"So, you got any plans for the weekend?" Tao inquired.

"Not really," I answered. "Maybe work a little bit on my project so that I won't have to worry about it while studying for the final-term exams."

"I know what you mean," Tao answered. "It's difficult to cram a project in when you have loads of homework and studying to take care of."

We both chuckled, and then I spoke up. "I just wish that I could relax for once and not have to worry about homework, ne."

"Yeah. You've visited the Host Club before, right?" Tao inquired.

I nodded. "I don't visit often."

It still hurt to hide my secret about working for the club from a girl who've become close friends with; but, even though I trusted Tao, it just seemed that she shouldn't know about it. It was difficult with this double-life I was living, even though that part lasted only in the afternoons. Well, hopefully my debt would be paid off before the term ended.

"You know the Host Club is holding a ball before break begins," Tao spoke.

I stared at her surprised. This was the first time I heard about this. "Those guys sure love throwing parties, don't they?"

Tao giggled. "Yeah, they sure do."

We both burst out in a chuckle. The Host Club loved to hold special events for their guests like dances and beach trips, and I could only imagine what they had in mind for _this_ party. They've already had a princess-theme, so maybe this next one was a Christmas Party or something.

Before I could ask what date the Ball was planned, we were soon joined by Yasuchika and Satoshi, who took their seats at their desks behind me. Not long after that, the teacher strode into the classroom, calming the students from their chit-chats. Tao stood up from the chair she sat at and pushed it back under the desk before walking passed a few more desks across the room and taking her seat. Once the low squeaking from the chairs sliding forward ceased, the teacher instructed us to turn to a page in our textbooks before reviewing the answers to yesterday's homework.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Tuesday afternoon was awesome, K.C.!"

"That ninja game is pretty neat!"

"And the boss seemed to like it a lot too."

"Glad you guys enjoyed it."

Ever since I entered the Third Music Room, the twins wouldn't stop talking about the afternoon the hosts took off two weeks ago. I must say that I enjoyed playing the games I never got the chance to play anymore since Joe wasn't home much, and I spent more time on my computer. As much as I wanted to head back out into the garden and play another round of Ninja, I knew that the temperature outdoors was much too frigid.

"HI-YA!" a child-like voice cried out from behind me.

Suddenly, a clap rang out and my hand began to sting. I winced, quickly drawing my hand up to examine it, while my entire palm suddenly grew pink as the stinging sensation continued, but gradually disappeared.

"Surprise attack!" the child-like voice cried out.

I glanced down to find Hunny in a fighting stance. His feet were planted firmly on the ground and his hands were open, ready to make another strike. The look of determination was etched on his face.

"You sure got me, Hunny-senpai," I spoke with a smile.

Suddenly, there was a quick flow of air from beside me followed by another stinging sensation in my hand.

"OW!" I cried whirling around to face the cackling brothers.

"Gotta be fast, K.C.!" they chimed in unison.

I smirked as I swept my hand over towards Hikaru's but he quickly reeled his arm back, and Hunny struck my free hand. Before I could do anything, the twins swept their hands across mine and howled with laughter.

"Hey! I was already out!" I hollered at the masters of mayhem.

"We're just testing your evasiveness skills," Kaoru spoke.

Suddenly, there was another clap from behind me, followed by the stinging sensation restored to my palm. I whirled around to find Hikaru laughing his head off, and I scowled while rubbing my stinging hand.

"Too slow!" the older twin proclaimed.

"Can you guys test my evasiveness later?" I inquired. "I have to get back to w– Ow! Kaoru!" I whirled around trying to strike his hand back before he reeled it. "As I was saying –Ah! Hikaru!– I don't have time right now to –Hey!– play around with you guys –OW!– But, I'll try to find some time after hosting hours to... WILL YOU TWO KNOCK IT OFF?"

The brothers draped an arm around each other's shoulders as their cackling laughter began anew. My eyebrow twitched as I glared up at them, and I was close to swiftly dropping to the floor, swiping their legs out from underneath them.

"What are you two shady twins doing to me beloved daughter?" the familiar cry of the club president called out.

With that, Tamaki wrapped his arms around me protectively (but, if you ask me, it felt like he was strangling me). I squirmed around, trying to free myself from his taut grasp, but sadly, and like always, no luck.

"Nothing serious, boss," Hikaru answered nonchalantly.

"Just playing a little game of Ninja. That's all," Kaoru added.

Suddenly, the blonde host released me as his faced brightened and sparkles appeared in his sapphire eyes. "Ah! That amazing commoner game? I wanna play! I wanna play!"

"Not now, Tamaki," the familiar monotone voice of the Shadow King spoke. "It's almost time for our guests to arrive." Then the light from the chandeliers reflected off his specs. "And you should be in the kitchen, Johnson-san. Or do you want your debt raised by one-third?"

I swallowed hard as I paled. "N-no, senpai," I answered. "I... I'll get right on it."

Then, that stupid grin spread across the Ootori boy's face. "Excellent. Everything needs to be organized and set up in five minutes."

After that, the vice president turned and walked away leaving me rooted to the tiled flooring. Suddenly, a pair of arms rested on each of my shoulders startling me, and I glanced from my left to my right to find the twins with identical smiled on their faces.

"We'll continue this after club hours," they spoke together.

"What about _me_?" Tamaki whined from behind us.

I sighed. "Well, we might as well include everyone." Then I began walking to the back of the clubroom. "See you guys later."

Once I was in the kitchen, I pulled out the already-decorated cakes, slicing them into equal slivers, and then I organized them on the golden pastry cart. After club hours, _and_ after a round of Ninja, I'd finally be able to head back to my apartment and relax.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"1... 2... 3... NINJA!"

After that the six of us, formed in a circle, jumped back in various "ninja poses". Haruhi left for home to prepare dinner, and Kyoya was typing away on his laptop. Each of us glanced around at each other, determination etched on out faces. Hikaru made the first move towards Mori, who dodged it, and Kaoru lunged towards me, but I reeled my hand back before he could slap it with his.

"Hah! This is going to be easy," the blonde host spoke.

Now was my chance. While Tamaki was zoning out into Commoner-land, chatting all about how much fun it was to experience the "commoner lifestyle" I jumped towards him, slapping his hand with mine.

"Ow! Katherine!" the president wailed.

"Tama-chan's out!" Hunny announced.

"Wh-what? But... but that's not _fair_!" Tamaki whined.

"Boss, it's your own fault that you weren't paying attention," the twins remarked bluntly.

Sticking his lower lip out, Tamaki stepped out of the circle while the five of us continued our game. I'm not sure how much time passed, but I was able to eliminate Kaoru, of course, only to be eliminated by his brother. Hunny and Mori were both finalists in the end; and as the four of us watched them, it felt like hours were passing by. With a kendo master and a karate master, they're both bound to have quick reflexes. In the end, though, Hunny won... of course, I'm still convinced that Mori allowed him to win.

After bidding farewell and best wishes for the weekend to the hosts, I strode down the hallway until I reached the front door and exited outside. The chilling breeze whipped up, and I quickly pulled my jacket out from my bag and slipped my arms into the sleeves. Planting my hands under my arms, I continued my walk out of the school gates and down the sidewalk. I loved everything about the wintertime except the cold temperatures.

As soon as I reached the apartments I slipped my feet out of the black flats and walked towards my bedroom to relieve my shoulders from the weight of my textbooks. After dropping my messenger bag on the bed, I walked back into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Something warm... I didn't care what it was unless it was warm and edible. In the end, I prepared a cup of ramen noodles and sat at the table contemplating over what i would do for the weekend.

I was nearly finished with my research project. All I had to do was edit my paper a few more times and write the bibliography. After that, I would be finished with that, allowing myself more time to study for the upcoming exams. What if I finished everything on Saturday? What would I do Sunday? Well, I'd look around town to find something to do.

Once I was through with dinner, I threw the Styrofoam cup in the trash bin and walked towards me room. Gathering my pajamas, I walked down the hall and into the bathroom to peel off my uniform and step into the warm shower. I sighed contentedly as the lukewarm water caressed my skin. It was great to warm up after experiencing the twenty-minute walk down to the apartments in the frigid, winter climate. As soon as I was finished, I turned the water off and stepped out of the shower to dry off and slip into my pajamas.

After tossing my clothes into the hamper, I heard the familiar song of my cell phone ringing. Striding down the hall into my room, I retrieved my cell phone from my night stand and examined the number. I smiled realizing who it was, and then I flipped up the lid and pressed a button.

"Hey, Joe," I spoke, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

"_Hey, K.C.," _my brother answered. "_How was school?"_

"Good," I answered. "I'm going to sleep in this weekend."

I could hear Joseph chuckling on the other end. "_Oh, right, I forgot that you were a couple hours ahead of us_."

"A _couple_?" I repeated. "More like thirteen."

"_Well, anyway... I wish you could be home for Thanksgiving_."

"Hey, it's all right. I'll still call, and plus you can have a _special_ Thanksgiving dinner with Kenzie." There was a pause, and I figured that my brother was blushing on the other end. However, I only giggled. "So, how's everything back home?"

"_Everything's fine here. Are you excited about December_."

"Oh, yeah! Ending of the second term and Christmas!"

"_And_..."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. And... what? Did my brother have something planned for Christmas when I arrived home?

"What?" I inquired.

"_Your birthday, silly_," Joe answered. "_Don't tell me you forgot_."

I blushed and rubbed the back of my head with my hand. "I'm afraid to say that I _did_." Then I sighed. "But, my birthday is a couple of days before Christmas break, so I won't be home to celebrate it with you guys."

"_That's fine, sis. I'll still call. And when you get home, you and me can do something together, all right_?"

"All right."

"_You need get some sleep, kiddo. Knowing how hard you work, you need it_."

I smiled. "Okay, talk to you later, bro."

"_You too. Night_."

"Morning."

We both shared a small laugh after that before hanging up. I flopped backwards on the mattress and gazed up at the ceiling. December 17th... how could I forget my own birthday? Well, I've been crammed with homework, as well as working for the Host Club, so it must've slipped my mind somewhere in that point of time. Well, at least my brother was able to remind me about it so that I would understand what he was talking about when he would call that day.

I heaved in a yawn, and then I pulled the strap of my bag forward, until it was dangling of the floor, and let it drop. Afterwards, I crawled over to the head of my bed and pulled the covers down before crawling underneath them. Drawing the bedding and sheets up to my shoulders, I sighed as I nestled down into the pillows. After a few moments of tossing and turning, trying to warm myself up, I curled into a ball, planting my hands under my arms. After a few minutes, sleep took over my mind and I drifted off into dreamland.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I rapped my fingers on the top of my desk as I stared at the document on the computer. It was the second time I had revised my research paper for my project, and I had already spent a good hour on it. It was packed with information, with the citations for each quote from a text book or the internet, but I still couldn't figure out what else it needed without sounding like a bunch of facts on white paper.

Releasing a sigh, I pushed the chair back from the desk and stood up. I had to take a break. Walking into the kitchen, I grabbed a granola bar from the drawer and peeled the foil wrapping off. Before I could sink my teeth in for a bite, my cell phone. began to ring. I faced the vibrating, green phone on the counter and picked it up. I knew for a fact that it wasn't my brother or Mackenzie calling, because they were already in bed by now.

Examining the caller ID, I raised an eyebrow when I found that it was none other than the Host King. _What's up this time? Ninja rematch?_ I pondered. Flipping the cover up, I pressed the green button and held the receiver up to my ear. "Hey, senpai."

"_KATHERINE! IT'S AN EMERGENCY_!" came the president's shriek.

I nearly dropped the phone on the tiled flooring, but thankfully kept a firm grip on it. "Senpai, calm down. You nearly busted my eardrum. Now, what's going on?"

"_My daughter! My beloved daughter has been kidnapped_!" Tamaki wailed.

"Haruhi? Kidnapped?" I repeated. "Who would do something like that?"

"_It's probably the Zuka Club again_," answered two voices in unison.

"_Those mean girls are always trying to steal Haru-chan_!" piped up a child-like voice.

"Senpai," I spoke to Tamaki, "am I on speaker?"

"_Actually, it's a six-way call_," the twins answered.

I raised an eyebrow in both confusion and surprise. _My phone can do that?_

"_Well, at least we know where to find her_," came an all-too-familiar, deep voice.

"Right," Tamaki added. "Listen up everyone, let's meet at the school and discuss our plan. Understand?"

"_Roger_!" the other five hosts answered together.

"Wait, guys-" I began.

They didn't answer, so I assumed that they had already hung up. I sighed. Great, now I was dragged into this whole mess. Haruhi was a host, so shouldn't the hosts find and retreive her? Well, she was more than a host to the others. She was a friend, and a friend to me as well.

"Why did my life have to turn upside down after the Host Club?" I asked myself.

"_You'll get used to it_," a deep voice answered.

I gasped realizing that I had forgotten to hang up. I knew the voice couldn't have been Mori's. "Ootori-senpai?"

"_You don't have to join us if you wish not to_," the Shadow King continued. "_After all, I'm sure you have more important things to attend to_."

"Senpai, wait-"

But I was too late. I was talking to a constant beeping sound on the other line. Sighing, I pressed the red button and flipped the lid of my phone down. Kyoya said that I didn't have to join them in their quest to retrieve Haruhi from the "Zuka Club". But, Haruhi was a friend to all of us. She was like my own sister here in Japan.

Without hesitation, I stuffed my phone into the pocket of my jeans and grabbed my jacket. After slipping on my sneakers, I exited my apartment, locking the door, and then I pocketed my room keys. Without hesitation, I descended the staircase and jogged out of the parking lot and down the sidewalk. It was a twenty minute distance walking, so, by my guess, it was most likely fifteen or so minutes jogging.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Halfway towards the school, I slowed my speed down to a walking pace and continued on. I wasn't very athletic, so I didn't have the stamina for running. Besides, it was a chilly afternoon, so the cold wind stung the back of my mouth every time I inhaled. I exhaled roughly the rest of the way to the school, and once I glanced up to find the six hosts climbing into a limousine, I picked up speed and began sprinting.

"Hey, you guys, wait up!" I shouted as I raced down the sidewalk.

The twins and Tamaki stopped and turned to me as I slowed down my pace and began panting.

"Katherine! You came!" Tamaki squealed with delight.

"Hey, Haruhi is my friend too," I remarked. "And if you guys need someone to open up a can of butt-whoop on that Zucchini Club-"

"Zuka Club," the twins corrected.

"Whatever," I answered. "Anyways, you guys need a fighter in case things start to turn bad."

Tamaki smiled. "Well, it's good to hear that you'll be joining us."

With that, he bowed halfway with his arm extended towards the open car door. I smiled back, thanking him before climbing in and sliding across the leather seats. The twins took a spot on either side of me, Hikaru on my left and Kaoru on my right, while Tamaki slipped in last and called to his chauffeur to drive. When the president glanced over at me, I saw his face light up as sparkles formed in his eyes.

"Katherine-chan, come sit next to Daddy!" he squealed.

"Uh..." I trailed off, remembering the last time I sat with Tamaki. "No thanks, senpai. I think I'm good."

"I don't want my daughter to be influenced by the off-springs of the devil!" Tamaki cried

"Too bad, Boss," Hikaru spoke.

"You snooze, you lose," Kaoru added.

With that, the two brothers wrapped their arms around me, and nuzzling their heads on top of mine. Even though these two have done this to me before, I was actually thankful this time because they were warming my frozen skin with my sandwiched between them and their radiating body heat.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my arm, jerking me from the twins' clutches, and I fell over sideways across Kaoru's lap. "I want what's best for my daughter, and that is away from, you two!" Tamaki spoke.

"Why're you doting on K.C. all of a sudden, Boss?" Kaoru asked.

"Is she Haruhi's substitute or something?" Hikaru added.

Tamaki blushed and, thankfully, released me. I sat up gazing from the twins to Tamaki as they bickered on about Haruhi. Guess Kyoya was right. There had to be some kind of love-triangle going on here.

"No one could ever replace my beloved daughter!" Tamaki practically screamed. "What would give you two shady twins that idea?"

"You dote on Haruhi and won't allow anyone else around her," Hikaru spoke.

"You act the same way with K.C.," Kaoru added.

"Do the math and you've got a substitute," they ended together.

"I have room in my heart for both Haruhi and Katherine!" the president hollered. "Can't a loving father dote on both of his daughters?"

"Oh, sure, you're _loving_ all right," the twins remarked sarcastically.

While the three continued with their argument, I sighed. _Maybe joining the hosts wasn't such a good idea..._ I glanced up at Hunny, Mori, and Kyoya who were sitting across from us. Hunny and Mori seemed to have caught my gaze.

"Mind if I sit with you guys?" I inquired.

"Sure, K.C.-chan!" Hunny answered. "It's okay, right Takashi?"

His tall, silent cousin gazed down at him and nodded with a grunt.

After that, Hunny squealed in delight and both he and Kyoya scooted over to make room. I climbed across and sat between the two cousins while we watched the trio argue on and on. If this was the only entertainment I would have for the ride, then I might as well get used to it.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"It's hard to believe that it's been over a year since we came to Lobelia," Tamaki mused.

"Yeah, can we come back from memory lane and go rescue Haruhi?" the twins inquired with bored expressions.

"Let's go save Haru-chan!" Hunny piped up.

"WAIT! Let's at least go over the plan first!" I shouted still irritated from the bickering trio during the road trip.

"Right," Tamaki spoke nodding. "First we need to find where Haruhi is."

"The school is hosting a Performing Arts Festival," Kyoya spoke up, examining a program (where he got it, I wasn't sure). "So, the Zuka Club must be holding Haruhi in the dressing rooms."

"All right, listen up everyone," Tamaki announced as we all huddled up. "Hikaru, Kaoru, and I will search for the dressing rooms and follow the Zuka Club if the head to another part of the building. They'll obviously be heading towards the auditorium like last time. So, Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai, Katherine, you three will be hiding in the auditorium from sight. Don't let any Lobelia student see you. Kyoya, you head upstairs into the sound booth at the back of the auditorium in case we need to activate some 'technical difficulties'. All right, everyone clear on their parts?"

"Roger!" we all answered.

"Good. Now, let's go rescue Haruhi!"

"Right!" we all chimed in.

I stuck my hand out in the middle of our huddle only to receive a few confused looks from the other hosts. "What?"

"What are you doing?" Hikaru inquired.

"I'm starting the break-off," I answered flatly. "Typically, before you break from a huddle like this, everyone places their hands on top of each others' and calls out a name at the end. Usually this is done with sports teams."

"Ah! So it's another commoner thing?" Tamaki inquired cheerfully.

I shrugged. "I guess."

After a few moments, everyone piled a hand on top of each others', and then they glanced around at each other. Man, when it comes to simple things I know about, these guys are all so clueless!

"Now what, K.C.-chan?" Hunny inquired.

"On the count of three, we call out 'Ouran'," I answered.

"Not too loud," Kyoya spoke up. "We might attract unwanted attention."

I nodded understandingly and then I looked from each of the hosts and gave a nod. "1, 2, 3, Ouran!" we called out.

Once that was said and done, the group split up, racing off in opposite directions.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I tried my hardest to keep up with the two cousins, because they were always two or three feet ahead of me. Once we reached the main building, we slowed down our pace to a walk. Cautiously entering, we walking along the walls of the hallway, and peered around every corner, checking to make sure it was clear to cross without being seen. Lobelia Academy was just as huge as Ouran Academy was, except this was a school for only girls, that's what I've heard from the hosts.

"So, where's the auditorium again?" I inquired after a minute or so of walking

"It should be around here some wh-" Hunny began.

But suddenly, an voice echoed from the intersecting hall. The three of us froze in place, but then Hunny began to climb up Mori's back and onto his shoulders, while Mori himself swept me up into his arms and raced into a nearby broom closet. The silent host set me down on my feet and then opened the door ajar as quiet as possible. The three of us peered through the narrow crack to find four girls stopped in front of the door and chatting away. One of whom I identified as Haruhi, who was wearing a red sailor's uniform with a matching skirt.

"I bet that you're relieved to be away from such a degrading place as that wretched Host Club," a tall girl with short, cropped dark-brown hair spoke to Haruhi. (In a very dramatic way I might add).

"We can't have such a beautiful maiden like yourself being influenced by those men," a girl with short brown hair, that reached her jawbone added.

"You're too lovely to be used in such a manner," the third girl, who had long, light brown hair ended.

Wait... were those girls referring to Haruhi as a "young maiden" and... "lovely"? Do these girls play on the other side of the fence? I shuddered at the mere thought. Just when I thought that my life couldn't become and strange or creepier.

"Come now," the tall girl spoke to the others, plus Haruhi, "the festival is about to begin!"

After that, the four girls walked down the hall. Once the echoing of their flats on the flooring had completely disappeared, Mori opened the door and stepped out. He gave me a nod, signaling for me to follow him, and then walked out into the hall. I walked forward, but, sadly, I set my foot down in a bucket and tripped forward. It took as few moments for my mind to register what he occurred, and then I quickly shook the bucket off my foot and scrambled to my feet. Peering out of the door I glanced to the left, and then the right before stepping out into the hallway, closing the door behind me. When I looked around, though, there was no sight of the Lolita boy or his tall, silent cousin.

I was about to call out for them, but, suddenly, there was an echoing squeal of fan-girls from down the hall, and it grew louder the closer it approached me. _Uh-oh..._

Darting at top speed, I raced down the hall and around a random corner. There was a door just a few feet away, and one my fingers rested on the cold metal, I turned the knob, flung it open, and slammed it shut. I panted as I heard the stampede of fan-girls squealing as they race down the hall. Once there was silence, I released a deep breath and slouched down to the ground.

"Johnson-san?"

Startled, I glanced up to come face to face with a girl with fair skin and freckles across the bridge of her nose, but they were barely noticeable with the red, rectangular glasses that had slid down her nose. Her long, curly auburn hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. As I scanned the girl over a few more times, I began to contemplate on where i had seen her face before.

"Do I know you?" I inquired.

"It's me, Niki," the girl answered.

"Niki... Niki..." I mused. Suddenly, it clicked. "Oh, yeah, from the Stellar Club back at Ouran. Why're you at Lobelia?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," she answered, adjusting her glasses.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, and then I glanced around at the room I was in. It was a very large room with a row of vanities and large mirrors with light bulbs around the frame. There were at least twenty or so girls in here either at the vanities caking on some make up, chatting with their friends, or staring at me. Most of which were actually, even the girls at the vanity. Once my eyes rested on a group of three girls, I nearly gasped in shock and froze in place. Kimiko, Momoka, and Ochira were here.

"So, I see you've brought some friends to Lobelia," I commented.

"Actually, the Stellar Club is in the Performing Arts Festival Lobelia is holding," Niki spoke cheerfully. "It's like a dream come true! The Zuka Club here at Lobelia inspired me to create the Stellar Club, and now the Stellar Club is performing at St. Lobelia Academy."

That's right! No wonder the name "Zuka Club" sounded familiar.

"Oh..." I spoke, glancing away.

"So, Johnson-san," Niki spoke up. "What're you doing here at Lobelia?"

"Uh... what am I doing here?" I whispered to myself. I was silent for a moment, and then I finally came up with something. "I was... invited by... some friends... who go here to... come to the Performing Arts Festival. You know... gotta show your support for your friends."

"I see," Niki remarked. "Have you lost them?"

"Oh, no, actually... I'm... early... Yeah, early."

"Excellent, because you're just the person we need now!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"You see, Johnson-san," Niki began. "We've been scheduled as the school to perform first, but I just received a call this morning that the girl for our opening act has caught the flu."

"Oh, that's terrible..."

"So, you could do it."

"Huh? M-m-me?"

"Yes! From what I've witnessed, you're a very talented singer, and I know that as our opening act, you'll blow away these girls of Lobelia and maybe even impress the Zuka Club!"

I stared at her and then glanced around the room. I understood how honored Niki must've felt to be at Lobelia Academy and performing there, but I wasn't part of the Stellar Club, so wouldn't that ruin the whole thing?

"I... well, uh..." I began.

Suddenly, I was cut off when an arm rested on my shoulders. "Niki, Johnson-san can't go out there looking like a dumpster child."

"You're right," Niki mused as she scanned me over. Then she snapped her fingers. "Takara! Izumi!"

In an instant, two girls appeared behind her. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Take Johnson-san to the wardrobe department," Niki answered.

"We're on it!" the girls answered.

With that, they hooked their arms in mine and raced off towards the "wardrobe department". I was certain that my feet never touched the ground while I was swept away by these girls. Well, the Stellar Club was most likely on in a few minutes, so there was no wonder why Takara and Izumi were in such a rush. The only thing that ran through my mind over and over was: _Why did I even get out of bed this morning?_

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as we reached a stall, the two girls shoved me inside and closed the door.

"Wait!" I called out, banging on the door with my fists. "This is a huge mistake!"

"Exactly," one of the girls spoke.

"That's why you need to wear something that's actually 'in'," the other girl ended.

Geez, why did these two remind me of the twins?

Suddenly, my eyesight was blocked by a sheet of thin fabric. I lifted it up to find a frilly white blouse with an cherry-red skirt that extended down to my knees, along with the skirt was a roll of pantyhose. How these girls figured out my size, I'll never know. Maybe they would tell just by looking at someone.

"You'd better hurry," one girl spoke.

"If you're not completely dressed in five minutes, we'll dress you ourselves," the other girl ended.

Without hesitation, I peeled off my clothes and, as quick as I could, I slipped into the outfit, taking the most time on the pantyhose. those things were very difficult to slip into. Once I was finished, I opened the door with my former clothes in hand and stepped out in front of the two girls, who squealed with delight.

"You look so adorable!" one girl squealed.

Suddenly, they both took my by my arms again.

"Let's not linger around anymore!" the other girl spoke.

"To the make-up department!" they proclaimed together.

I gave a yelp as I felt myself flying in mid-air while the two girls dashed through backstage. Man, if _back_stage was huge, then the actual stage must've been gigantic! Everything the girls raced passed flew by in a blur, and I eventually found myself back where I began.

The two girls set me down on my feet in front of Niki, who scanned me over. The freckle-faced girl walked around me, most likely checking if there were any stains or rips in the fabric, or how well it fit me. She stopped in front of me again and looked me over one last time.

"She's perfect!" Niki squealed, placing her hands together.

Takara and Izumi high-fived each other, while I glanced around at the other girls who were either practicing lines, or caking on their make-up. My attention soon drifted over to Kimiko and her gang. Kimiko glanced over her shoulder, glaring at me, and then she returned to diligently placing make-up on her face.

"All right, Takara, Izumi, take care of Johnson-san," Niki instructed. "We have about five minutes until we're on. So get as much done as you can."

"Roger!" the two girls answered.

Without warning, the two girls pushed me over to an empty chair in front of a vanity and shoved me down in the seat. The first thing they did was pull the scrungie from my ponytail so that my hair fell in frizzy-wavy curves against the back of my shoulders. I couldn't tell who was doing what, but one of the girls was straightening my hair with a straight-iron, while the other girl was caking make-up on my face.

Everything happened in a blur, and before I knew it, the two girls stepped back to admire their handiwork. I must say that in less than five minutes, these girls did a fabulous job. Each strand of my hair was curled, and the top layer was pulled back into a ponytail.

"You know, you look better with your hair down," one of the girls commented.

"Thanks. I get that a lot," I answered.

"Okay, last but not least... shoes!" one of the girls cheered, pulling out a box.

Could they tell my shoe size just by looking at my feet? Awkward... The girl opened the lid of the box to reveal a pair of jet black heels. Great... I was going to be on stage with these... After what occurred back in the first term, I never wanted to see a pair of heels again. How are women supposed to walk in those without twisting their ankle? Before I could protest, the other girl took them out of the box and slipped them on my foot.

Afterwards, the two girls pulled me up out of my chair and led me out of the "make-up department". Thankfully they were there when I stumbled a few times. I was certain that I was going to twist my ankle and fall. At least that would relieve me from going on stage. Takara and Izumi led me up a stair case that opened to a gigantic stage that looked to be about the width of half a football field. Niki was at center stage with a microphone in hand telling the audience about the Stellar Club.

Before I could think of anything else, the two girls gave me a push. I stumbled forward trying to keep my balance as well as keeping myself from looking like a fool.

"And here is our opening act!" Niki announced. "Ladies of Lobelia Academy may I present to you all, one of the most talented girls in the Stellar Club, and most likely in all of Ouran Academy, our transfer student from America, Katherine Johnson!"

There was a thunderous applause from both the audience and Niki, but I just stood where I was and stared off at the crowd. The stage was huge, but the auditorium was at least the length of an _entire_ football field. Even though the bright lights casting down on the stage made the entire audience look like a black blur, I knew they were there. Hundreds... no, thousands of people were in those seats all staring at me, waiting for some entertainment. And the worst part was the Zuka Club, with Haruhi, and the Host Club were there. I could see a faint light off in the back of the auditorium, which I presumed was the sound booth.

Kyoya was watching too...

Suddenly, I felt a hand seize my wrist and I stumbled as I was tugged towards center stage. Niki handed me the microphone, which I hesitantly accepted, but, sadly, carelessly dropped onto the wooden floor. There was a teeth grinding, high pitched sound from the speakers as the microphone rolled on the floor, but I quickly picked the mic up. I glanced over my shoulder at Niki, who stood off-stage by the curtain. I gave her a sheepish smile before turning back to face the audience.

"Konichiwa, St. Lobelia Academy... and... other academies attending the Performance Festival," I spoke nervously. "Or... as we say in America... _what's up_?"

I paused, waiting for the slighted laugh, or at least murmur, but there was nothing but silence.

"So..." I trailed off. I glanced around the auditorium, trying to locate the Host Club, but with the bright lights it was difficult to tell. "You guys are all into drama and music stuff, right?"

Well, at least that earned a few cheers and applause. That still didn't make me feel at ease. This was a Performing Arts Festival, so these people wanted professional singers, musicians, and actors, no a fourteen-year-old girl who has only sung on stage once in her entire life. Well, they didn't know about my musical or acting history, so I could just wing it.

Glancing over behind me towards the mid-right of the stage sat an ivory, grand piano. Thank the Lord! The one thing I knew that would calm me when I was upset was sing a song and play a tune to it. I walked over to the piano and set the microphone in a holder that hung in front of the sheet music.

"Okay," I spoke to the audience. "I typically play a song that fits my emotions. So... this song is an American song, but if you understand the words, then that's great."

I placed my hands on the keys, but I couldn't force enough strength to push them down in the order I wanted them too. I played the first few notes, tapping the wrong key a few times. I winced and glanced back out at the audience with a sheepish grin, and then turned my attention towards the black and white keys. _Calm down, K.C.,_ I spoke to myself. _Remember, you're in your comfort zone. Just block out everything from outside and focus..._

I closed my eyes and relaxed my muscles. I gently tapped my fingers on the keys, trying to match the tempo of the tune in my head. After taking a deep breath and releasing it, I set my hands on the keys and began. The fingers on my right hand fritted across the keys, while my left played the lower notes of the intro. I could feel the song coursing from my mind, down my arms and through my fingers. And soon, I found the lyrics projecting from my throat. I was in my zone.

_Making my way downtown _  
_Walking fast _  
_Faces passed _  
_And I'm home bound _

_Staring blankly ahead _  
_Just making my way _  
_Making my way _  
_Through the crowd _

_And I need you _  
_And I miss you _  
_And now I wonder... _

_If I could fall _  
_Into the sky _  
_Do you think time _  
_Would pass me by _  
_'Cause you know I'd walk _  
_A thousand miles _  
_If I could _  
_Just see you... _  
_Tonight _

_It's always times like these _  
_When I think of you _  
_And I wonder _  
_If you ever _  
_Think of me _

_'Cause everything's so wrong _  
_And I don't belong _  
_Living in your _  
_Precious memories _

_'Cause I need you _  
_And I miss you _  
_And now I wonder... _

_If I could fall _  
_Into the sky _  
_Do you think time _  
_Would pass me by _  
_'Cause you know I'd walk _  
_A thousand miles _  
_If I could _  
_Just see you..._  
_Tonight _

_And I... I _  
_Don't want to let you know _  
_I... I _  
_Drown in your memory _  
_I... I _  
_Don't want to let this go _  
_I... I _  
_Don't... _

_Making my way downtown _  
_Walking fast _  
_Faces passed _  
_And I'm home bound _

_Staring blankly ahead _  
_Just making my way _  
_Making my way _  
_Through the crowd _

_And I still need you _  
_And I still miss you _  
_And now I wonder... _

_If I could fall _  
_Into the sky _  
_Do you think time _  
_Would pass us by _  
_'Cause you know I'd walk  
A thousand miles _  
_If I could _  
_Just see you... _

_If I could fall _  
_Into the sky _  
_Do you think time _  
_Would pass me by _  
_'Cause you know I'd walk _  
_A thousand miles _  
_If I could _  
_Just see you..._  
_If I could _  
_Just hold you... _  
_Tonight..._

I held that last note as my fingers fritted across the keys, until I slowed down at the end. Once I heard the screaming of the audience and the thunderous applause, I smiled. Standing up, I took a bow and said my thanks before taking my microphone and handing it back to Niki. It was hard for me to digest the fact that I sat at a piano, played _and sang_ a song in front of hundreds of people! Well, it was fun while it lasted. Now, I had to get back to business.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I had already pulled my hair back into it typical ponytail, but the strands of my hair were still curly. I walked of the dressing room stall with my outfit back on and the skirt, blouse, and pantyhose back on the hanger, while the heels were placed back in the box. After hanging the outfit on the rack and setting the shoes by another box, I turned around to head back in the direction that I came from only to find Kimiko and her goons.

"Kimiko-san, Momoka-san, Ochira-san," I addressed them, bowing.

"We just want to say congratulations for wowing the crowd out there," Kimiko spoke.

"Well, thanks I-" I began.

But I was cut off by Kimiko, "But don't think that we didn't see through your little plot."

"Excuse me?" I inquired.

"You heard me," Kimiko spoke. "You're just trying to boost up your pride so that when the time comes, you will impress my Kyoya-kun and win him over. Didn't you say that _he _was _mine_?"

"Yes, well-"

"Good. I just wanted to make sure you remembered."

With that, Kimiko whirled around on her heels and strutted back towards the make-up department with Momoka and Ochira an tow. I scowled at her until she disappeared around the corner. Guess she didn't learn from that day. Well, her time was coming soon, and all those years of throwing everyone under the bus to make herself feel good was going to return and bite her in the butt.

Sighing, I walked out from backstage. As soon as I entered the hallway, there was a vibration in my pocket. Fishing around for my cell phone, I realized that it was a text sent by Tamaki.

_We've got Haruhi!  
Head back to the limos! _

_~Tamaki S._

I sighed as I shoved my phone back into my pocket. Even though I didn't get to do much with helping to rescue Haruhi, at least I was able to conquer my stage fright. Walking down the hallway, I made my way back to the main entrance where I found the limo. Suddenly, I was grabbed my the arms again and then swept off my feet as my captors dashed towards the car. When I glanced up, I found that it was the twins this time, thank goodness.

As soon as we were all inside the limousine, Tamaki signaled his driver to take off.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"I knew that you could play piano, but I had no idea that you had such a lovely voice, Katherine-hime," Tamaki spoke with that charming, host-smile.

"You were amazing, K.C.-chan!" Hunny piped up.

Mori nodded with a grunt.

"You sure brought the house down!" the twins added.

"Even though I was with those crazy girls, it was great to see that side of you," Haruhi spoke.

I blushed. "Thanks, you guys. I actually stumbled backstage on accident..."

"Well, at least there was some people you knew who were back there," the twins spoke.

_And some people I wish I hadn't met either..._ I added in my mind. After seeing Kimiko again, I was afraid that she was going to make a fool of my on stage and humiliate me not just in front of the Host Club, but the entire student body of Lobelia Academy and then some! Well, thank goodness she didn't.

As soon as the limousine pulled up to the entrance of the apartments and came to a stop, the chauffer opened the door allowing me to step out. I waved and said good-bye to the hosts as the black limo drove down the road. Once it disappeared, I made my way up the stairs and into my apartment. Boy, that was one hack-of-an afternoon! I'd have to call Tao and see how her date with Satoshi went.

* * *

**And there you guys go! One super-duper, extra-large chapter with everything on it!**

**Anyways, for those of you who were curious, the song used in this chapter was "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton. Also, the game "Ninja" is a supe-awesome game! Basically, you, and a couple of friends circle up and, while taking turns, try to hit a person's hand. You can only make one move though ;). When someone tries to attack you, you have to quickly reel your hand back, in one move as well. Its tons of fun!**

**You guys know the drill by now! Rate and Review. Reviews are greatly appreciated! :)**

**Replies to reviews from last chapter:**

**Aurora-16: First off... Yay! You were the first Reviewer! Yes, I love making fluffy chapters! Everything is better when it's fluffy! Yes, TaoxSatoshi would make a super awesome couple! Yayz muffins! ttyl8r!**

**SaraELupin: True that!**

**Me and Gaara 4ever: Thanks! Updates are every weekend unless I say otherwise. And Congratulations! You were my 100th reviewer!**

**silverrain1312: Thanks! Actually you were the 101st. It was really close too! According to my e-mails, they were 2min. a part! Kick the can sounds like a super fun game!**

**AllyraMortlock: Thanks! It actually went pretty well. What Kyoya said to her? That was actually in a previous chapter *hint hint* (half of 26).**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: Yes! Redemption! Halloween was awesome!**

**BunnyNinja: Haha! Yeah, I wish too. Yes, way Way WAY deep down in that heart of stone is some goodness.**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Yes! Little moments iz awesome!**

**xXanimeluver15Xx: Haha! I know right? Yeah, poor Haruhi... Aways stuck in the middle of it... Yay for Tao!**


	28. The Cat's out of the Bag

**Hey, everyone!**

**It's time for this week's new episode of "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In"! Anyways, I just want to say thank you to all of my fans out there for reviewing, favorite-ing, and story alert-ing, it make me feel like an anime-geek-celebrity. Yeah, I'm a geek! And, I'm proud of it!**

**So Thanks you everyone! Arigatou! Kiaora Koe! Gracias! Danke! Merci! Mahalo! Kosonom! Maraming Salamat! And one great big... TANKS SO MUCH! YOU GUYS ARE AWELLSOME!**

**Before I forget, this chapter is a shortie because 1). It's late, and 2). I needed a filler**

**Well, now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the story**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, otherwise every filler-chapter in the manga/anime would be R-A-N-D-O-M! (More than it already was...)**

**Claimer: I own K.C. and all of my other OC's (which you can check out pics on my DeviantART page!)**

**Happy Reading, guys!**

**

* * *

**

**~ Chapter 28 ~**

**The Cat's Out of the Bag**

A faint streak of light illuminated the darkness of the back of my eyelids; but I moaned, tossing onto my other side and nuzzling down into the comfy bedding. Curling my body, I pulled my knees towards my torso in an attempt to warm myself to the core. The only downside of the wintertime was chilling nights. Even with the heater turned up, the chilling air always found a way to creep into my room and freeze my bed sheets, leaving my bare toes chilly through the night. I always reminded myself to slip on a pair of socks before falling asleep; nevertheless, I would practically pass out once my head hit my pillow.

For the entire week, I came back to my apartment thoroughly exhausted. It seemed like I was running all over the school during the afternoon club hours. Every day it was always: "K.C., we need _these desserts for today_," or, "K.C., we're holding a _such-and-such_ cosplay with _such-and-such_ food." I'll confess that most of the time, it was enjoyable to prepare sweets from other countries, or eras; but every time I came back to the apartment, I could barely stay awake to finish up my homework. Well, it was almost the end of the term, so I would be able to relax from the Host Club, and especially waking up early and making sure that I'd arrive at school on time.

That's when realization struck me, and my eyes snapped open.

_What time is it?_ I pondered, sitting up immediately and grabbing my alarm clock.

Quickly rubbing the blurriness from my eyesight, I stared at the digital, green numbers on the screen and nearly dropped the clock on the floor. **9:25am.** _Crud!_ _I'm going to be late!_

So many thoughts were passing through my mind at the moment. Did I forget to set my alarm? What would Sensei do if I arrived at class at this time of day? Or more importantly... Would they expel me for my tardy? I paled at that thought, but quickly shook them away.

After setting the clock back on the nightstand, I threw the covers off my body and raced into the bathroom, ignoring the chilling air that filled the room that created bumps on my skin. I switched on the straight iron and frantically fished around in the drawers for a hairbrush and a scrungie. Then, I contemplated over the time it would take to ready myself. _Ah, I pull my hair back anyway, and it's usually wavy then_. I thought as I flipped the switch off on the iron.

Once I pulled my hair up, I brushed my teeth and then raced over to my wardrobe. I nearly tripped as I peeled off my pajamas and slipped into my uniform. Hopping on one leg as I fed my foot through the pantyhose, I made my way down the hall and into the kitchen. As soon as my feet were fed through, I raced over to the door, but quickly stopped.

"Book-bag... Duh!" I muttered, slapping my forehead with my hand.

_Can't go to school without __**that**_, I added in my mind, as I spun on my heel and raced back down the hallway to my room. Upon entering, I hurried over to my desk to find that it wasn't in my chair. That was where I usually set it before climbing into bed. Didn't I put it there? My eyes frantically scanned the dimly lit room, and then I raced over to my bed. Not there either. Under it, maybe? Nope. I sighed as I slouched against the bed.

Never in my entire life had I felt so rushed. Well, I could just play hooky... No, that wouldn't be right. Pretend to be sick? That wouldn't be the right thing to do either, especially since they may ask me for an excuse note from the doctor's office. Well, if I _was _tardy, I would just have to give my honest-to-goodness apology. No excuses. Of course, I couldn't be later than I already was.

Presuming that I dropped my messenger bag off in the living room, I stood up and raced towards the open door to the hallway. Before I could exit my room, my toe planted into something hard, and I felt my body collapse forward, colliding onto the hardwood flooring. I don't know how long I lay there, but I presumed it was a few moments. Groaning in pain, I used my elbows to prop myself up as I glanced over my shoulder to see what I tripped over.

My book-bag... Well, at least I found it.

It was a little dimly lit in the room, so it was obvious why I failed to notice it lying in the middle of the floor. I mentally slapped my forehead this time, wondering why in the world I was such an idiot to no open the curtain _before_ searching around me room. Well, I might as well do that while I was in here.

This just wasn't one of my days... I try not to rush myself at certain times, but when its serious like this -serious as in, _I-could-possibly-be-expelled-for-a-tardy,_ serious- I would feel as rushed as ever! And when anyone is rushed, they make the most mistakes. At first, I kept a focus on how to finish things diligently and in time, like school work or preparing the desserts for the club. But now... now that perfect record was ruined...

As soon as the curtains were drawn, I sped up my walking pace as I walked through the room, while searching through my book bag to make sure I had everything I would need for class.

_THUD!_

I took a step back, rubbing my stinging forehead. That, for sure, was _not_ the door. Lifting my head up, I realized that I had run into the wall, missing the open door by a few inches. _Hopefully I'm not __**this**__ clumsy during class..._ I thought to myself as I blushed with embarrassment.

As I walked through the living room, I swiped the keys off the end table and continued to the door. I had most likely wasted half an hour to a full one preparing myself (even though I barely did anything) and searching around for my book bag. I didn't have to take a step outside when I opened the door. The cold air nipped my face, and I quickly shut the door and raced back into my room. First I forgot to set my alarm. Then, I forgot my book bag. And now, I forgot to grab my jacket! Could this day get any better?

Snatching my black jacket from my closet, I slipped my arms through the sleeves, and reached over to adjust my messenger bag on my shoulder. I paused for a minute as I stared at my arm, and then I groaned as I pulled my arm out of the sleeve, and then slipped my bag off of my arm. The satchel goes on _after _my arm has been fed through the sleeve, not _before_. Geez, I was losing my mind this morning!

Shouldering my bag, I glanced around the room double checking to make sure I had everything I needed for school. Uniform. Check! Appearance. I raced across the room to the bathroom to re-adjust my ponytail, and then I headed back into my room. Book Bag. Check! Homework and books. Check! Jacket. Check! I sighed with relief glad that I _finally_ had everything I needed, and then I turned back around as I began walking out of the room.

_THUD!_

_Not again..._

I groaned as I peeled myself off the wall and stared at the wall. An exasperated sigh escaped my throat as I walked around and exited into the hallway. Hopefully nothing else embarrassing would occur today, especially in front of the twins. I wouldn't hear the end of it from _them_.

Now that I knew for sure that I had everything I needed, I quickly raced through the living room and towards the door, but suddenly stopped as I entered the kitchen. Keys. Where were they? I patted the pockets of my jacket, and then my book bag. They were right where I left them: in the side pouch. I sighed with relief glad that it didn't take me long to locate _these._ It would a a shame if I left them in my room again.

After what just occurred, I did _not_ want to go through fifteen minutes of searching for a pair of keys. If I had forgotten or misplaced anything else, I'd pull my hair out! Sensei was possibly surprised that a scholarship student would turn up late without an explanation. I had enough panicking for one morning, and now that I was sure that I had everything I needed for class, I walked through the kitchen and towards the door.

Suddenly, the calendar caught my attention, and I walked backwards back into the kitchen and nearly passed out. **Saturday**. It was a Saturday. In other words, a weekend. No School whatsoever. Honestly, I wanted to smack my head thousands of times against the granite countertop. Maybe _that_ would finally delete my forgetfulness.

Exhaling a sigh, I set the keys on the counter top before turning around and dragging my feet back down the hall to my room. With all the running I had done, my legs felt like lead! As soon as I reached my room, I slid my book bag off my shoulder and set it in the chair at my desk, and then I draped my jacket over the back of the chair. Sitting on the edge of the bed, I buried my head in my hands.

No wonder why my alarm didn't go off! It didn't need to! I am such an idiot... A clumsy idiot at that. Well, on the plus side, at least I didn't have to go to school, or act like an absentminded klutz in public. Of course, I wanted to slip back into my pajamas and crawl back into bed, I wasn't that tired anymore. That half-marathon I ran this morning was enough of a workout to keep me awake for days.

Well, I could get ahead on a couple of assignments, or study for any upcoming tests or quizzes. That would work since there are pop quizes on a random day of the week when we begin a new chapter in science class. Since I was wide awake and pumped up with energy, I might as well use it. Walking over to my desk, I grabbed my book bag and pulled out any books I would need to help me study.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"K.C.!"

I jerked my head up at my eyes snapped open at the sudden call of my name. After rubbing the blurry vision from my eyes, I glanced around at my surroundings. I was in the banquet-hall sized cafeteria in the school, and sat at one of the tables with the milk-white cloth draped over it. Across from me sat a petite girl about my age with wavy, brunette hair and ash gray eyes that stared back at me.

"Sorry, Tao," I spoke. "What were you saying?"

Tao raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I wasn't saying anything. I was trying to keep you from face-planting into your rice."

Glancing down on the table was a bento with leftover rice inside, filled to the top. Had I not eaten any of my lunch yet? Was I asleep the entire time or a couple of minutes? I assumed that Tao must've been staring at me, like I was crazy not to eat my lunch, only to find that I had dozed off. Blushing, I glanced around at the other tables around us. The other students were chatting away with their friends. Well, at least no one else had seen me doze off in the middle of lunch.

"Did you not get enough sleep?" Tao inquired.

"I guess not," I answered. "I've been stressed out all last week, and I guess it all piled up to today."

"If you wnat to go home early, I can tell Sensei that you weren't feeling well-"

"No, I'll be fine." I took a sip of water before continuing. "I'll just have to get Satoshi and Yasuchika to poke me, or do something when they see me nodding off."

Tao giggled at that remark and continued her lunch, while I began mine.

"Speaking of Satoshi," I spoke after a few minutes. "How has everything been?"

"Pretty good," Tao answered.

"What do your parents think?" I inquired.

That's when I noticed Tao freeze in the middle of scooping up her salad with her fork. Her eyes never left her plate. She sat there for a few moments in silence, but then she released a sigh and continued her lunch. Of course, I immediately realized why she stiffened up at my question.

"You haven't told them yet, have you?" I asked.

"No," the girl murmured.

"Tao, they have to know sometime," I spoke. "You can't keep hiding it from them until the last minute. The more you keep a secret, the more others are going to become suspicious if they find evidence leaking out from under you."

"I know, but..." she trailed off as she gazed off into space. "But, I just can't tell them."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid of what they'll say."

"Who cares about what they say? Yeah, I knew they're your parents and owners of the company. But you're in high school, Tao. You have the power to choose what you want to do, be who you want to be, and marry whoever you want to. You have three years left until you graduate and become an adult. You're parents have to understand that. You have the power to make your _own_ choices. Heck, you're going to be inheriting that company and making your own choices with it."

Silence filled the unoccupied area around us. I stared at Tao as she continued to gaze down and poke at her lunch. I knew she was contemplating over the idea, but she was probably thinking about what her parents may say to her about she and a Morinozuka together. Obvious questions would include: 'Would it make the family look good?', 'What do _we_ get out of it?' and/or, 'Why disobey your parents?". Despite being pressured by what would happen, Tao had to stand up to her parents some time or another.

"You don't have to tell them soon, Tao," I spoke softly. "Only when you feel like they need to know. For instance, when they've shoved the whole marriage thing to far down your throat. That's when you need to stand up and defend yourself."

Another moment of silence. Tao must've been thinking this over, or, most likely, wondering how she would stand up to her parents. I sure would hate to see her get crushed and forced to marry the boy _they_ chose, note Satoshi. Well, if Tao was able to deliver herself well enough to persuade her parents, then I was sure that this Romeo and Juliet story was going to have a happy ending.

After a while, Tao sighed, and then she glanced up at me. "I guess you're right."

I smiled. "Remember, think positive and you'll get it."

Tao smiled and nodded in agreement. "Oh, by the way, I'm stopping by the Host Club for a while on my way to the Classical Music Club. Want to join me?"

Again, another Host Club invitation from her. How long could I keep this secret?

"Sorry, Tao," I answered. "I'm a little... busy this afternoon."

"Oh... that's fine then."

At the tone of her voice, she seemed a little dismayed. As much as it pained me I knew that I had to hold on to the fact that I was the Host CLub's personal chef who decorated all the cakes and created the other desserts. Sometime, I'll tell her. When the time was right.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"An Outer Space Cosplay... Really..."

As I set the box of props down, I stared at the seven hosts before me dressed in their typical crazy cosplay outfits. Tamaki, the twins, and Haruhi were regular humans, but wore black futuristic body suits with a colored stripe that wrapped around their torso. Tamaki's was white, Hikaru's was blue, Kaoru's was orange, and Haruhi's was red. The other hosts were dressed as aliens with green paint on their faces and hands. They wore silver space suits that glistened off the light almost like aluminum, on top of their heads was a silver head band with two springs sticking upward and a Styrofoam ball attached to the top of the coil.

"So, Katherine, what do you think of our Inter-Galactic Squadron?" Tamaki inquired.

With that, he pulled out a toy gun and made 'pew. pew' sound effects every time a light flashed from the gun. I stared at the gun, and then at Tamaki, who then used his charmer's smile as he held the gun up pointing towards the ceiling next to his head. Okay, not as great as a Nerf gun, but it was good enough. As for the sound effects... Well, actually, I'm not going to even go there for fear of putting Tamaki in his 'emo corner'.

"I feel like I'm in a deranged episode of Star Trek," I answered flatly.

"Ooooh! Is that a commoner term?" the club president squealed as he appeared beside me with sparkles in his eyes.

"Actually, it's a show that came on in America," I answered.

"So, what you said is a good thing, right?"

I stared into Tamaki's big, sparkling blue eyes unsure of what to say. "Suuuuuuurrrree..."

"I just knew you'd love it, Katherine-hime!" the president squealed with delight as he squeezed me and spun me around.

"Senpai," I choked out. "Let me go... please..."

Thankfully my wishes were granted and I found myself back on my feet on the marble flooring. "So, you guys have some Inter-Galactic space treats you want me to fix up?"

"Actually, it'll just be the regular desserts," came that all too familiar monotone voice. I turned around to face Kyoya as he continued, "You have to decorate the cakes. Of course, if you'd like, you can ice them in a way that fits our theme."

I was paying partial attention to what he was saying, but I couldn't stop staring at Kyoya in his shiny, silver suit. His face and hands were green, and those springs attached to the headband on his head swayed back and forth whenever he looked on way and then back down at his notes. By the way he was dressed, just didn't seem to fit him at all. Kyoya looked more like a goof ball.

Covering my hand over my mouth and glancing away, I tried my hardest to keep from bursting out laughing at his getup. Sadly, I wasn't able to hold it back long, and I began howling with laughter.

"May I ask what's so humorous?" Kyoya ask staring down at me.

As soon as I caught my breath back, I glanced back up at the Ootori boy. Despite his intimidating look with the light reflecting off his glasses, I managed a small smile. "Oh, nothing, senpai."

He continued to gaze down at me, obviously not buying my little act, but he turned his attention back towards his notebook and began scribbling down notes. Kyoya was never one to miss a trick that was for sure. He could read anyone like an open book, no matter how hard they tried to hide from the world.

Before I could make my way over to the kitchen, I was stopped when a pair of arms rested themselves on my shoulders. I didn't have to glance over to see who it was. It was already obvious.

"Maybe you could be the alien princess of Galliatus," Hikaru spoke.

"And have some aliens from a rival planet capture you," Kaoru added.

"Then, the squadron will come and rescue you, and battle the alien kidnappers," they ended together.

"But you know, Kaoru," Hikaru spoke as he held his brother close. "I would fight by your side, and even take the bullet if I have to."

"Hikaru..."

"Save it for the guests you guys," I spoke. "That one will work on them for sure."

"We've got plenty more up our sleeves," they spoke together.

_I'm sure you do._ I thought. "Well, I'll see you guys after club hours to tear down the decorations and everything."

With that, I strode across the room and into the kitchen. Last week may have been rough, and the lack of sleep nearly cost me a day of humiliation at lunch. Well, at least Tao was able to stop me in time before I was wearing my rice on my face. Like always, I strapped my apron around my waist and pulled out a cake from the refrigerator to begin work.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Using my leg strength, I lifted the cardboard box filled with the remaining pieces of the set the hosts used for their cosplay. Everything went smoothly, and I didn't feel rushed at all. The customers that arrived seemed to be the number they would have on average, unlike last week where it seemed like there were three times as many girls. Heck, from their squealing it sounded like hundreds!

"Okay, guys," I called out to the hosts. "This is the last thing to go to the storeroom, and then after that, I'm heading home!"

I began walking towards the door, which I soon heard open, but not close.

"The Host Club is closed," came Kyoya's voice from somewhere beside me.

"I know. Gomen Nasai," a female voice spoke.

_I know that voice from somewhere..._ I thought.

Slowly lowing the box, my eyes widened at the sight of a girl dressed in the Ouran High School female uniform. She had very fair skin, but the long, wavy brunette hair was what caught my attention.

I swallowed hard as I lifted the box back in front of my face and then began shuffling sideways towards the door. _Please don't see me... Please don't see me..._

"I... I think I may have... left my book bag in here," she continued.

"Which host did you request?" I heard Kyoya ask.

"Morinozuka-senpai and Haninozuka-senpai," she answered.

"Is this it?" Hunny's voice asked.

I blocked out the rest of the conversation and continued my way towards the door. I glanced over my shoulder to see that the girl's back was facing me, so I had enough time to make a mad dash out of the room and down the hallway.

_THUD!_

Once again I found myself run smack dab into the wall mere inches away from the door. Of course, with the heavy box in front of me, it sent me toppling backwards, and I fell on my end as the contents of the box spilled out all over me. I sat up and pulled one of the space explorer uniforms off of my head, but then I noticed a hand held out in front of my face. Before taking accepting the offer to help me up, I followed the arm, which was covered by a yellow dress sleeve. Soon, I found myself gazing into a pair of ash-gray eyes.

Silence fell in the room as I gazed into the eyes of the girl. After a while though, I chuckled nervously, "Hey, Tao, what're you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Tao answered.

"Wow, really?" I answered, feigning surprise. "Great minds think alike I guess..."

I smiled nervously, but Tao continued to stare down at me, obviously wanting the truth. Rubbing the back of my head with my hand, I glanced around the room, contemplating on whether or not I should make up a white lie, or tell her the truth.

Releasing a sigh, I stood up and smoothed the wrinkles from the skirt of my dress. Tao stood up at well, still wanting that answer. "It's a long story," I spoke.

"I'm listening," the brunette girl spoke, folding her arms across her chest.

I stared at her, and then hung my head. I had a feeling that Tao would become upset with me for hiding this secret from her.

"You see, to make a long story short..." I began.

Before I could add on to that, my arms were grabbed and I was pulled to the side. Yanking myself from the grasp, I turned around to find the twins and Tamaki all with questioning looks on their faces.

"K.C., are you sure you want to tell her?" Hikaru inquired.

"She might blab your secret to the whole school," Kaoru added.

"She's not, you guys," I spoke. "Tao's one of my best friends here, and I trust her."

Silence fell among us, and the twins gazed up at Tamaki for permission. The president glanced from the girl and then over to me.

"If she's able to keep your secret," Kyoya spoke for him, "I'm sure we can let this whole situation slide and get one with our lives."

"What _secret_?" Tao inquired.

I turned around to face the brunette girl, and I walked up to her. "You see, Tao," I began. "I... I owe a... certain member in the club some money for breaking one of his... personal items. So, I have to prepare the desserts and help set up the clubroom for cosplay days."

Tao continued to stare at me for a while, but then gazed around the room. "How long have you been working for them?"

I smiled sheepishly. "Since the day after the beach trip back during the First Term."

The brunette girl locker her ash-gray eyes onto mine, and I couldn't resist the guilt that welled up inside of me. I wouldn't blame her for being upset with me though. I denied both of her offers to visit the Host Club with her.

"Tao, I'm really sorry," I spoke. "But, I need you to keep this a secret."

The brunette girl stared at me for a while longer. I could feel her eyes locked tight into my gaze while the other six pairs of eyes (Haruhi went off to go study), were locked onto my back. Moments felt like hours as they passed by.

"On one condition," Tao finally spoke after a while.

"What?"

She paused, but then a smile crossed her face, "You have to make a special slice of cake just for me."

"Any brownies or cookies with it?" I asked, smiling back.

"I do love those brownies," Tao replied in a-matter-of-factly tone.

We both giggled, and then, while the hosts packed away the spilled costumes and props back into the box, I took Tao into the kitchen and gave her a tour. We chat for what seemed like only moments, when it was actually only half an hour, while I diligently decorated her "special dessert". I was glad that Tao was able to accept the fact that I had been working undercover at the club. Even though living this "Double-Life" in the afternoon was difficult to explain to others whether I was busy or not, but at least I now had someone on my side to back me up whenever I needed her.

* * *

**Okay, yeah this one was a shortie...**

**I needed a filler to fit between the previous chapter and my upcoming chapter for next week. I don't want the story to look like it's rushed so yeah... Also, it's really Really REALLY late at night (almost morning actually). And my creative juices aren't as good when I'm tired...**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed! Rate and Review!**

**Replied to reviews from previous chapter:**

**Me and Gaara 4ever: Yes! Congratulations! Don't worry, I have something planned for them ;)**

**Aurora-16: Yes. I love epicness! S'mores! YAYZ!**

**AllyraMortlock: Yayz! Reviews about recommendations! Thanks! Kimiko a stalker... Kyoya stalker maybe... IDK it kinda fits. Thanks!**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Nope. Not yet! BUt there will be cupcakes, I promise.**

**silverrrain1312: They are a couple of crazies... Yes, musical people rule! Yeah, I was trying to think of something like in the episode where he first heard Tamaki playing piano, just without the crying.**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: 1). Not long. I just like to make you guys suffer... hehe... JK. But, I have the rest of the story planned out, so you'll just ahve to wait and see! (2). Yes! Or maybe pen-pals via PM, or something like that... idk. Thanks!**


	29. Surprises around the Corner Part 1

**Hey everyone! Glad you guys decided to pop back in for this next chapter! And guess what...? I DIDN'T PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER THIS TIME WHILE WRITING IT! :D Yay for me!**

**Sorry about the shortie filler last week... I couldn't think of anything to put in between Chapter 27 and this one. Well, now that I can finally move on to my major sub-plots, the chapters won't be as choppy or short!**

**Anyway, if you guys are totally loving this fic, please recommend it to your friends, especially friends that are total Kyoya lovers! I know that there few in that pool, but that's fine!**

**HEADS UP: This chapter was pretty lengthy at first, so I had to split it into two parts.**

**Hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything related to that. If I did, everything would be completely random.**

**Claimer: I own K.C. and all my other OC's! (who can be found on my DeviantART profile)**

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**~ Chapter 29 ~**

**Surprises around the Corner**

**Part 1**

_*Bleeeeeep* ... *Bleeeeeeep* ... *Bleeeeeeep*_

Groaning, I buried my head under my pillow, trying to block out the all too familiar alarm with its constant, irritating beeping. From under the pillow, I could still hear the ongoing noise just slightly muffled. It was like it was mocking me, saying "_Get out of bed, you lazy bum, and turn me off!"_ I growled as I tightly shut my eyes, desperately wanting to fall back into the arms of peaceful sleep. Of course, my alarm clock wasn't going to give up without a fight.

I was tempted to jerk it out of its outlet and hurl it against the wall, and I could visualize scraps and wires splashed out upon the floor. That would shut it up for good. Well, after what occurred two weeks ago, where I forgot that it was the weekend and ended up frantically running around my apartment to get ready, I couldn't decide what was worse, getting out of bed to get ready, or arrive at school late. I pondered for a moment, trying my hardest to block out the irritating beeping from beyond the cushion wall as I pondered.

Eventually, I slipped my head out and reached my hand over, groping around for the switch. The constant buzzing continued to ring throughout the room, and I was contemplating on the idea of hurling the clock against the wall. After a few more moments of the constant buzzing, my fingers finally rested on the switch, and I flipped the alarm off. At least, I thought I did, but I actually ended up flipping the switch that turned on the radio. Growling, I sat up and flipped on my lamplight so that I could see what I was doing.

After switching the radio off as well as the alarm, silence filled the room. I sighed with relief as I set the clock back down on my nightstand. As much as I wanted to fall back asleep, I had a paranoid feeling that a poltergeist would flip the switch back on; or I had accidentally pressed the snooze button, and the device would turn back on in a few short minutes. Either way, I couldn't be late for class, or else I'd end up frantic and run into walls again.

Without hesitation, I tossed the covers off my body and stood on the floor. As soon as my feet came into contact with the icy, wooden flooring, I quickly retreated back to the warmth of the covers. Once again, I forgot to slip on a pair of socks before I climbed into bed last night. It wasn't that I was too lazy and didn't feel like doing it. I was just ready for the term to be over with. More importantly, I couldn't wait to pay off my debt. I wonder how much more I had to pay off before I was finished...

Sitting up once again, I carefully placed my feet on the floor, and then I quickly threw off the blanket and raced over to the bureau and pulled out a pair of socks. I frantically slipped the cotton over each foot one at a time, and goose-bumps began to crawl up my skin as I fished around through my closet for my robe. I sighed as I tied the fuzzy strap around my waist, and then I staggered wearily down the hall.

I had stayed up a little over curfew last night because I arrived at the apartment late. I was pretty sure that I made, at least, six or so round trips from the clubroom to the storeroom packing the props and costumes in their appropriate box and stashing them on their appropriate shelf. Because I arrived around 7:30pm, I fixed myself a light supper so that I could quickly start on my homework, which took a good four hours or so. If I didn't receive my regular eight-hour sleep, I would nod off every once in a while during the day.

As soon as I entered the kitchen, I pulled out the rice to heat it up. Something warm ought to wake me from my drowsiness. Once my breakfast was ready, I sat on my knees at the table and stared down at the food in front of me. All that puffy white rice, reminded me of my cushy pillow on my bed, and I could visualize myself catching a few more winks before silently entering dreamland. Suddenly my eyes snapped open and I jerked my head up, realizing that I was about to doze of and land face-first in my breakfast. I released a sigh, and then I picked up my chopsticks and popped a few scoops of rice in my mouth.

Once breakfast was finished, I rinsed my bowl in the sink, and then I traveled down the hall to my room. Making my way over to the window, I drew the curtains aside to allow the sun to cast its faint morning rays into the room, as well as glisten upon the solid white ground. Wait, back up the truck a bit... White ground? I had to do a double-take to make sure my mind wasn't playing tricks on me. Sure enough, the entire ground, as well as the roofs of houses and other apartment complexes down the street, had been painted a solid white. The clouds looming overhead were an ash-gray color, with streaks of faint sunlight gleaming through it.

My face brightened as my mouth opened in a smile. A white ground and slick roads could only mean one thing... Whirling around on my heel, I raced out of the room and down the hall. _Japan has snow days, right?_ I pondered to myself, sliding as I rounded the corner in the kitchen._ Please, oh please, let me have a day off today!_ Even though it was only Thursday, I just wanted to have a day to myself, a day to relax an unwind from the stress of the Host Club.

Plopping down on the couch, I quickly grabbed the TV remote and pressed a button. I honestly hadn't used the television here much, so it was difficult to figure out what was on what channel. As soon as I flipped to the news, I set the remote down by my side and watched with eagerness. Of course the weatherman on screen spoke in Japanese, but it was easy to identify what he was saying:

"...This is one of the most moderate snowfalls Tokyo has seen in years." he said as he stood in front of an animated map of the Tokyo region. "Many schools are closing for today because of the weather..."

My grin grew wider as I kept my eyes glued on the screen. So, Japan _did_ have snow-days... BONUS! But, did this mean that Ouran Academy would be one of the many schools that wouldn't be open today?

"...These school's include: Tokyo High, Azabu High, KAIS International, Musashi Junior and Senior High School, Musashino Joshi Gakuin, Kaisei Academy..."

I tightly shut my eyelids together and crossed my fingers. "Ouran Academy... Ouran Academy... _Please_ say Ouran Academy!"

"...Hibiya High, and Ouran Academy."

"YES!" I cheered, jumping to my feet and pumping my arms in the air. Then I began spinning around the room and making up dance moves. "No school toda-ay. Gonna parta-ay. No school toda-ay."

"...There is a prediction for more snow to fall overnight," the meteorologist continued. I stopped dancing and turned my attention to the television. "The schools are left to decide whether or not to close their doors for the weekend."

"DOUBLE BONUS!" I cheered, jabbing a fist in the air.

I continued my dancing routine as I clicked off the television and step-slid through the living room and kitchen, twirling around every once in a while. Finally I would have a break from not only school, but the Host Club as well! And this time, I wouldn't have to worry about Kyoya raising my debt. Everyone would be free from the tedious homework piled on them every day, and they would be able to relax and enjoy themselves. Of course, I'm sure some of the girls may be upset because they wouldn't be able to visit their beloved host. Well, on Monday, things would return to normal.

As soon as I slid to a stop at the end of the hallway, I entered my room. Walking over to my window, I gazed out at the white-blanketed buildings, trees, and cars. It was amazing how such a chilling, leaf-stripping season could be so... beautiful. The sunlight peeked through the gray clouds that hovered over the cold land, and the rays cast down on the snow, making each individual flake twinkle.

I sighed dreamily, and then I turned away from the window and walked over to my dresser. After grabbing the clothes I would wear for the day, I made my way into the bathroom. For once, I was relieved that I would be wearing something normal and comfy than that puffy, itchy, canary-yellow dress. Okay, so maybe it wasn't all that hideous, but I preferred to wear something that was comfy around my legs. Since jeans weren't "all the rage" in Japan, I slipped on a pair of navy-blue slacks and a long-sleeved black shirt. After hanging my robe on the hook by the door, I brushed my teeth and touched up my hair (of course, pulling it back into a scrungie).

Once I was finished, I walked out of the bathroom and pulled out my burgundy, fleece jacket from the closet. After slipping that on, as well as my burgundy, knitted hat, I grabbed my navy handbag and packed my sketchbook and camera inside. _Might as well add some stuff to the scrapbook._

Afterwards, I walked out the room, and finally out of my apartment, locking it behind me. I shivered and rubbed my gloved hands together to warm myself up, and then I strode down the walkway and then descended down the staircase. My black, rubber boots crunched the powdery flakes together as I walked through the snow and through the parking lot. As I ventured down the sidewalk, I would snap a few photos, and also try to find the perfect spot with enough scenery to sketch.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Just a few more details here..." I mused as I scratched a couple of lines on the paper.

I would look up every once in a while from my sketch pad to the white-blanketed scenery before me. There was a deserted area in a park with the perfect angle of the lake in front, along with a couple of trees, and the gray silhouette of the city of Tokyo stood off in the distance. The sunlight danced on the thin ice of the lake, and the snow rested all over the ground, as well as in the boughs of the trees and branches. Once I was finished, I held up my work to examine it, and then smiled. Then, I rested my book back on my lap and etched the date in the bottom corner.

"Katherine?" a voice asked from behind me.

Startled, I jerked my head around to find a girl around my age wearing burgundy slacks, with a matching scarf and earmuffs, and a golden fleece jacket. She had fair skin, short, brunette hair, and large brown eyes. Once I took a good look at her face again, I smiled.

"Hey, Haruhi," I spoke. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," she answered. "I was just on my way back home from a walk."

"I see," I answered. There was a slight pause as I gazed out at the scenery. "It's great to have a break from school."

"I know what you mean," Haruhi added, leaning against the back of the park bench. "It's a relief to wake up and realize that I don't have to host anyone today."

"Or tomorrow," I added, glancing back over at her. "They said there's more snow on the way."

Haruhi nodded. "I bet you're glad that you don't have to bake anything."

I laughed. "Yeah, I've got today, and the rest of the weekend, all to myself."

Then, I thought over the fact that I wouldn't be able to see anyone until Monday. It sure would be lonely sitting around the apartment with nothing to do but study, or whatever else I could think of to relieve my boredom. Even though the only sane people in the entire Host Club were Haruhi, Kyoya, and Mori, they were all the entertainment I needed for the afternoon. And even though I didn't request any of them, they were there to relieve me of my stress and be there for me when I wasn't feeling like myself. I sure was going to miss a lot once I was gone for good.

"I would get a little bored though," I spoke. Then, I turned to Haruhi, "I mean, as crazy as the club is, there's always a surprise when I walk into the Music Room. You never know what to expect, but you still have some fun with it."

"I know what you mean," Haruhi spoke with a laugh.

"I'm guessing you had some crazy times last year with the club."

"'Crazy' is an understatement."

"I'm assuming that Tamaki had crazy ideas planned for the club?"

"Yeah, especially last year when the twins kidnapped me after school and dragged me to the Ootori Company's 'Tropical Aqua Garden'."

"Huh?"

"It's a theme/water-park Kyoya-senpai's family runs."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion as I stared at Haruhi. Ootori Medical, one of the most well-known medical facilities across Tokyo and possibly other areas over Japan, owned a water park?

"I thought Ootori Medical only focused on... hospitals and stuff like that," I spoke.

Haruhi shrugged. "Kyoya-senpai says that it's classified as a 'healing facility'."

I only continued to stare at her perplexed. How could a theme park like that be relaxing? I mean, running around to everything and growing excited as you wait in line pumps up the adrenalin in your body. I just didn't get it.

The female host only gave that sweet smile. "If you see it sometime, you'll understand."

I smiled back, and then I closed my notebook and packed it away in my bag. "Well, it was great to chat with you again Haruhi, and hopefully we can hang out together this weekend."

"I'll look into my schedule and see if it's okay with my dad," she answered standing up straight.

Shouldering my bag, I stood up as well. "Hey, you wouldn't mind if I walked back with you to the apartments. It's just that we never really get to chat much anymore."

She smiled again. "I don't mind one bit."

With that, Haruhi turned and walked from the bench while I followed her. As soon as we exited the park, we turned and traveled down the sidewalk. During out stroll, Haruhi would explain some of the "surprises" the Host Club had in store for her when she first joined; and when one of us made a humorous remark about something, we would just laugh together. It was nice to be able to chat with Haruhi since we never had the chance during club hours because one, I had to prepare everything for the club, and two, when hosting hours were through, Haruhi was either busy studying or already left ofr home. Now that we had two days off of school, plus the weekend, we could hang out all we wanted. This weekend was going to be perfect.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"...So Tamaki-senpai had to ban sweets from the club for three whole days," Haruhi ended, as we both rounded the corner.

"Aww, poor, Hunny..." I remarked. "He must've been so miserable."

Haruhi nodded. "He finally snapped on the last day, and hurled Mori-senpai over he shoulder."

A mental image of the short, eighteen-year-old, college student formed in my mind as he stood next to Mori, who was twice his size. Then, I pictured Hunny grabbing his cousin and flipping the tall, dark college student over his shoulder, and onto the ground. It was difficult for me to believe for a minute or so, especially with the size difference between those two; but because Hunny was a master at martial arts, it made perfec sense how he could lift things heavier than him like Superman.

"Whoa..." I commented. "I guess looks are deceiving."

Haruhi chuckled. "Yeah, It was hard for me to believe at first when I saw him take down Kyoya's-senpai's police force at the Water Park."

"Now _that_ is surprising." We both laughed together, and then I continued, "Speaking of which, what made you want to go to the theme park? I mean, to me, you're more of the study 24/7 type."

"Well, you see..." Haruhi trailed off.

She stayed silent for a while as I walked ahead, mainly because we were nearing my apartment. After a few moments of silence, I slowed down my pace. Did I get too far ahead of her while she was answering? I could still hear her boots crunching the snow; but suddenly, there was a blast of could air from beside me, and I stopped in place.

"Target..."

"...Captured!"

Immediately after that, I heard Haruhi yelp and the sound of crunching snow ceased.

I whirled around to face her. "Haru– Whoa!"

At that moment, I was grabbed around the waist and picked up off the ground. I held onto my hat to keep it from sliding off my head, while I stared at the concrete below me. Okay, what the heck was going on? If some guys wanted to "have some fun" with a girl or two, then they've come across the wrong girl. Rocking my body back and forth, I wriggled my body as much as I could to free myself.

"What do you dirt bags think you're doing?" I yelled. "Let me go now or else I'll-"

"Hey, K.C.-chan!" a young voice squealed from above me.

I stopped squirming and raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Wha–?"

Twisting my body to glance up, I found the Lolita boy smiling down at me while he was perched on top of his older cousin's shoulders. Little Hunny was dressed in green slacks, with a matching hat, scarf, and gloves, and he also a bright red fleece jacket. Apparently, Mori was the one who grabbed me, considering the fact that his arm trailed to around my back. The tall, stoic host wore a dark blue puffer jacket, with matching earmuffs, and black slacks that matched his gaiter.

I blinked in confusion as i stared up at the two. "Hunny-senpai? Mori-senpai?"

"What's up, K.C.?" a pair of voices spoke simultaneously.

Twisting my body again, I glanced over to where Haruhi was originally. The twins stood on either side of the female host with their arms locked in hers. Both Hikaru and Kaoru had similar winter outfits. Kaoru's puffer jacket was a dark yellow with a red rim around the hood, and he wore red slacks; while Hikaru's attire was a reverse color. The older twin wore red earmuffs and a yellow gaiter, while Kaoru wore a yellow hat and red scarf. As my eyes trailed down to Haruhi, I noticed that she wore an exasperated countenance as she glanced from one brother to the other.

"Wha-? What's going on, you guys?" I inquired.

Before anyone could answer, a black limousine pulled up beside the curb. The seven of us stared as the back window rolled down revealing the Host Club president with a smirk on his face. I swallowed hard as I stared at him. _This isn't going to be good..._

"Great work, men," the president spoke slyly. "Now take them with you."

"Roger," the twins and Hunny chorused together.

As soon as they ended, Tamaki smiled, and then pressed a button on the door of the limo. The dark, tinted glass window slowly rolled up concealing his face from view. I stared at my horrified reflection in the glass as a million thoughts raced through my mind. Just when I thought I would have a couple of days off all to myself...

"Wait! Senpai!" I called out after him, as the limo drove down the road and disappeared out of sight.

Then, I felt Mori adjust his grip on me as he began to walk down the sidewalk. Glancing up, I found that we were following the twins, who carried Haruhi along with them. I felt an uneasy sensation churn in the pit of my stomach as I worried about what the Host Club 'King' had in store for Haruhi and me. Well, when it came to the Host Club, it could be anything at all. Hey, it was possible that we were taking a trip to the moon.

"Haruhi?" I spoke worriedly. "What's going to happen to us?"

"Who knows?" she answered flatly, glancing over her shoulder. "You'll get used to it though."

I continued to stare at her perplexed, and then I glanced up at the other hosts for answers.

"Don't worry, K.C.-chan," Hunny spoke cheerfully. "We're going to have lots of fun!"

"Lots of fun _where,_ exactly?" I inquired.

The Lolita host plastered on a wide grin. "It's a secret!"

I sighed as I let my head sag so that I was facing the concrete sidewalk. Silence filled the group as the male hosts continued down the walkway. It felt like hours passed as I watched the thin cracks below me travel down to my feet. I sighed out of boredom, and then my head began to throb as I held it in my hand.

"Hey, Mori-senpai?" I asked, glancing up at him. "Could you carry me some other way? I think the blood is starting to rush into my head."

The stoic host stopped instantly after my request, and then I felt him swing my body around his. I gave a yelp as I felt his arm release me for a moment, thinking that he was going to drop me; but then, I felt his strong arm wrap around my lower back and his forearm rested behind my knees. With my head resting against his shoulder, I held my breath realizing how close we were.

"How's that?" he inquired.

My cheeks flushed a deeper red than they were when they were nipped with frost, and I glanced up at him. My voice was caught in my in my throat that it was hard to answer him. Mori rarely spoke; but when he did, that deep, manly voice of his sent goose-bumps crawling over my skin.

Swallowing my nerves, I managed a small smile. "Yes. Arigatou, senpai."

"Hey, Haruhi, want me to carry you?" I heard Hikaru ask.

I turned my attention to the three hosts in front of me as they continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"How about we _both _carry you?" Kaoru added with a sly smile.

"How about _neither _of you carry me," Haruhi answered dryly.

"Aww... You're no fun!" the twins chorused.

I giggled at the show in front of me, and then silence filled the air. As irritated as I was with the four hosts for practically kidnapping Haruhi and me and then dragging us off to who-knows-where, it was great that I wouldn't be spending the weekend alone. Not only would I get to hang out with Haruhi, but the other hosts as well... wherever we were going. They six hosts may be the strangest group of boys I've ever met, but they made everyday an adventure.

**~ . . * . . ~**

After a few minutes or so, Hikaru and Kaoru rounded a corner while Mori followed. The twins soon stopped as we neared a parked, black limousine with a chauffeur waiting by the back of the black car. Mori set me down on my feet while Hunny climbed down as well, and the chauffeur opened the door for all of us. One by one, we all slid inside and across the seats. The twins and Haruhi sat on one row, while Mori, Hunny, and I sat across from them. As soon as we were all settled in, the twins gave their driver a nod, who then closed the door.

I sighed, glad that I was surrounded by the warmth emanating from the vents in the car, and then I smiled as I slouched back. The limo soon jerked as the engine started up, and the vehicle traveled down the road. Gazing out the window, I stared at the snow-covered trees and building we passed by, wishing that I could just stop and relax in the beauty of it. But, apparently, Tamaki wanted us all to be together at a certain place at a certain time, so we couldn't keep him waiting.

"So, where are we off to, you guys?" I inquired.

"Koriyama," the twins answered.

I raised an eyebrow. "Koriyama? What for?"

"Since it's a snow day and none of us will be together at school, Tama-chan wants us all to spend the day together," Hunny answered.

"But don't we all spend the day together at the Host Club," Haruhi questioned.

"Yeah," the twins answered together.

"But, we only get to spend a little bit of time before and after hosting hours," Hikaru continued.

"So this time, the boss wants us all to spend the afternoon and evening together," Kaoru added.

Then, a pair of smirks played on the brothers' lips as they stretched their arms across the seat behind Haruhi's head; and then, they leaned closed beside her face. "Besides, we like to spend time with our little toy."

"How many time to I have to tell you guy?" Haruhi asked flatly. "I'm _not_ you're 'toy'."

"Yes you are!" the brothers proclaimed, pressing their bodies against her sides.

An exasperated sigh escaped the female host's throat as the twins continued to grin devilishly down at her. I ignored most of their back-and-forth comments and gazed out the window at the quickly passing scenery. Everything was covered in a white blanket of snow, topping the trees, roofs of buildings, as well as cars. Of course, I didn't want to fall asleep right there and waste the entire trip to Koriyama. Not like last time with Haruhi and Tamaki on our way to Okinawa.

I only had four months left of the school year here in Japan; and as I looked back on everything that occurred, it was difficult for me to believe that my time here was nearly through. There were the good times that I would cherish forever and look back on every now and then, and then there were others that I wished to forget. As dismayed as I was that I would be embarking for home for the holidays, and eventually for the end of the school year, I wanted to spend as much time as I could with the friends I've made at Ouran.

**~ . . * . . ~**

It felt like only minutes had passed as the six of us chatted on and on through the entire car ride. Mori made a few slight comments, mainly affirming grunts or a "Yeah" here and there. We conversed about what we would be doing and where we would be going for the holidays. Most of the hosts would be leaving for trips with their parents to some other country on part of the world, while other's would be spending time in their vacation home's close by or a couple of hours away.

As soon as the limo slowly pull into what seemed like a driveway, followed by the crunching of gravel underneath the tires, the hosts ceased their chatting and gazed out the windows at the passing white scene.

"Looks like we're here," the twins chorused together.

"Yay!" Hunny cheered.

Once the limo came to a halt, we waited for the Hitachiins' driver to open the door, and then we stepped out of the vehicle. As soon as I stood up and took a few steps forward, I shivered as I hugged myself tightly, wishing that I was back in the comfy leather seats of the limo and surrounded by warmth. It felt like it was at least ten degrees or so colder out here than back in Tokyo!

While the remaining hosts climbed out of the limo, I glanced around at the area. I was standing on a gravel pathway that led up to a grand, wooden, two-storied lodge, where I assumed we would all be staying for the afternoon. Surrounding the lodge was a wide field that was covered in a white blanket of snow, and a forest rested down from the field. Large mountains were planted in the background with a few towns at the bottom. Apparently, this lodge was also at the top of a mountain.

The six of us turned as the Hitachiin brothers instructed their driver to pick them up that evening and that they would call him in case anything happened. Afterwards the chauffeur climbed back into the front seat and started up the limo. We all watched as the vehicle made a U-turn and slowly descended down the gravel pathway down the mountain. Once it disappeared, I sighed, still wishing that I was back in the limo surrounded by the heat.

"Hey, everyone!" a familiar voice called out.

We turned to find the blonde host waving to us as he and Kyoya walked down the pathway towards us. Well, Kyoya was walking; Tamaki was kind of running with a cheerful smile spread across his face. The host club president wore a blue, puffer jacket with white around the rim of the hood, which matched his earmuffs. The club president's navy gloves matched his slacks, and his black, rubber boots crunched the snow as he hurried over to us. Kyoya, on the other hand, was wearing a black fleece jacket, earmuffs, and boots, while his gloves and slacks were both a dark gray.

As Tamaki continued to race down the hill towards us, he stretched his arms out, presumably to start a group hug. Well, _that_ was short lived. As soon as the club president was a meter or so away from us, he tripped on his foot and collapsed face-first in a snow bank. The twins pursed their lips together to contain their laughter, but they failed and began howling with laughter.

"Wipe out!" they exclaimed as Tamaki pushed his body up with his hands.

Ignoring the twins, the club president stood on his feet and joined Kyoya and us. "It's good to see that you all could make it."

"Thanks for... 'inviting us', senpai," I answered.

"My pleasure," he spoke. "Since it is a snow day, Ouran Academy has been closed, both today and tomorrow. So, to relieve ourselves of the tedious schoolwork we may have to endure if not for the weather, we will relax and enjoy each other's company, and-"

_SPLAT!_

At that moment, a wad of snow was hurled at the speed of a pitcher's fastball, smashing into a pieces once it collided with Tamaki's back. The club president ceased his babbling and whirled around, scanning each of us.

"Who threw that?" he exclaimed.

_SPLAT!_

Another one was hurled at his shoulder followed by cackling laughter. Tamaki scowled and turned around to face the masters of mischief. "YOU DEVIL TWINS! I DEMAND YOU TWO TO-"

_SPLAT!_

Headshot. Right in the face. I placed my hand over my mouth as I stifled a laugh, and when I glanced over at Haruhi, I found that she was struck with a snowball was well, followed by Hunny and Mori.

"Snowball Fight!" the twins announced as they packed some snow in their hands.

Tamaki growled and then molded a lump of snow in his hand. Reeling his hand back, he locked onto his target and then tossed his hand forward. Of course, the lump of snow only made a journey of a couple of feet before planting in the ground. I held back the urge to burst out laughing since it would be rather mean. I observed the scene as Mori helped Hunny pack snow together while Tamaki made pyramid after pyramid of snowballs at light speed.

"We haven't even been here for five minutes and the fun has already begun," I commented.

"Indeed," Kyoya commented as he strode up beside me. "Ever since Tamaki heard that school would be closed for two days because of the weather, he's been babbling on and on about gathering everyone together."

I smirked. "I assume that means that he woke you up this morning and annoyed the heck out of you."

The Shadow King only growled under his breath, but I smiled. It was strange since Tamaki was the one who experienced Kyoya's "dark side" first-hand, yet he was the one who went back to pester him in the morning. He knew the consequences right? Or, maybe the club president was just over excited and was oblivious to the fact that Kyoya had the power to kill him on the spot.

"Duck," the Shadow King spoke calmly, interjecting my thoughts.

I glanced up at him confused. Kyoya only raised his black notebook in front of his face; and in mere seconds afterwards, a lump of snow collided into it. Glancing out at the battle field, I scanned over the area to see who had thrown that. Of course, I only had about two or three seconds to look; because right after that, I was pelted in the face with a snowball. The twins cackling laughter echoed from the field of snow, while I wiped away the slush from my face.

"Hey!" I exclaimed at the twins. All of the hosts stopped in mid-throw and glanced over at me. "Don't you two know that you shouldn't throw snowballs like that?"

Everyone, including the twins, glanced around at each other confused.

I only smirked and grabbed a handful of snow, molding it in my hands. "You should throw them like _this_!"

With that, I reeled my hand back and hurled it straight towards the twins, and it lump of snow landed square in Hikaru's torso. The two brothers smiled as they bent down on their knees to form some more snow, and then they stood back up and hurled them towards me. I laughed as I ran, dodging any snowball I could, but then I noticed Haruhi, who was walking up to the lodge, from the corner of my eye.

Facing the battle field, I place on hand on top of the other signaling a time-out for me, and then I raced up the hill to the female host. "Hey, Haruhi," I spoke as I caught up with her. "Don't you want to play?"

"I'll pass," she answered dryly.

"Come on," I spoke, bending down and forming some snow in my hand. Then, I stood back up and smirked. "You know you want to pelt Tamaki-senpai with one of these."

I held out my hand with the molded snowball to Haruhi, who only looked from me to the lump of slush in my hand. Obviously, she was contemplating on the idea of hurling a snowball at Tamaki and his reaction when it hits him. After a few moments, I noticed a grin spread across her face as she accepted the snowball.

"Hey, senpai!" she called out racing down the hill.

I watched as she stopped a few meter from Tamaki, who quickly turned around to face her. When he did, Haruhi quickly launched the snowball at him, and the club president reacted by saying something along the lines of "Why did you hit Daddy? Get those devil twins!"

I laughed as I packed some more snow in my hand, and reeled my hand back to toss it down at the club president; however, my gaze trailed down to Kyoya, who was jotting down notes in that little black book of his, most likely calculating the cost of the rent of the lodge for the afternoon or something. Smirking, I turned my aim towards the Shadow King and hurled the lump of slush at him. Upon impact, his notebook was knocked from his hands, and Kyoya quickly gazed up at me.

"Take a break, senpai!" I called down to him. "Spend some time with your friends."

Kyoya only adjusted his and bent down to pick up his notebook. I sighed and shook my head at him. This was his last year here at Ouran, so he should at least make the best of it. Ignoring him, I turned and walked down the hill and into the "battle field". Suddenly, I felt something strike me in the back and it quickly slid off landing on the ground. Whirling around, I searched around to find where it came from. Kyoya stood on top of the hill with that smirk on his face while tossing a lump of snow in the air and catching it. I grinned back at him, and then I grabbed some snow and began building my ammunition for the battle.

**~ . . * . . ~**

It had been a few hours since our snowball fight ended, and then it turned into a snow-sculpture contest. Most of us decided to just build giant snowmen, or a dome-shaped hut out of snow. After an hour of that, we all decided to head inside the lodge to warm up. Upon entering, we set our boots on the porch and hung out jacket, as well as our gloves, scarves, and hats on the hoots. I glanced over at the grandfather clock set in the lobby which read **3:45pm**. If we arrived in Koriyama around eleven in the morning, then we were all outside for nearly four hours. Time sure does fly when you're having fun with friends.

It turned out that the lodge was actually Hunny's vacation home here in Koriyama. Speaking of the Lolita boy, he and his cousin traveled into the kitchen to brew up some hot chocolate while the rest of us seated ourselves at the dining table. Tamaki and the twins chattered on about the snowball fight and argued about who won and who lost. Honestly, if they wanted to start that kind of game, they should've been keeping track of their own scores.

"All right, everyone!" Hunny called out as he and his cousin entered the dining area. "It's time for some hot cocoa!"

While the Lolita host seated himself in an empty chair, Mori set the tray in the middle of the table and began passing out the mugs. Once I received mine, I inhaled the sweet aroma and then sighed dreamily. As I stared down at my reflection in the brown liquid, memories of being back home with Joe began to flood my mind. It was a few years back around December when an ice storm hit our city. THe power was out for a couple of days; nevertheless, my brother was there by my side whether it was brewing up some hot chocolate or snuggling me under the blankets in an attempt to keep warm. I sighed as I thought back on that day. Just three more weeks then I would be back home.

Of course, I didn't want to leave Japan either. After building up relationships with the hosts and spending time with them, whether they were annoying me or kidnapping me on a trip, they were always there by my side whenever I needed them. They were like my family here. While I was in Japan, I would grow homesick when the time drew near to return to America; of course, when the end of the break drew near to where I would be heading back to Japan, I would grow homesick too. No matter which country I was in, I would still miss my family.

"K.C.?" a voice inquired, interjecting my thoughts.

Startled, I jerked my head up and glanced around at the hosts, who only stared at me confused. "Sorry, guys," I spoke. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Tamaki inquired.

Placing two hands around the mug, I lifted it up to my lips and carefully took a sip. Then, I set the mug back down on the table. "Stuff."

"What kind of 'stuff'?" Hunny questioned, tilting his head to the side.

I sighed as I stared down at the hot chocolate gently sloshing around. "Just some stuff."

"Katherine-hime, you know you can tell us," Tamaki spoke.

I glanced up at him, and then relaxed back in the chair. "I've just been a little homesick, that's all."

"Don't worry, Johnson-san," Kyoya spoke. Then, he took a sip of cocoa from his mug, and then set it back down. "You have three more weeks."

"That's not it, you guys," I spoke. "You see, whenever I'm here, I miss home back in America; however, when I'm back in America, I miss my home here." I sighed and leaned on the table with my arms on top. "It feels like only yesterday when I first slipped into that uniform. And after graduation, I'll be back home in America taking classes online."

"It's all right, K.C.," Haruhi spoke. "We can still trade phone numbers or e-mail. That way we can chat together even when we're miles apart."

I smiled as I glanced up at her. "Yeah, you're right." Then I gazed back down into my mug. "I just want to make the best of this day, you know."

"Well, the day's not over yet," Hikaru spoke.

"We're not even finished with the afternoon," Kaoru added.

Smiling again, I nodded in agreement. Even though time had flown by me today, I still made the best of each small hour spending time with my closest friends. Even though Tamaki sent the twins, Mori, and Hunny to kidnap Haruhi and I and take us on a two-hour trip to Koriyama, it was nice that I could spend the afternoon with everyone and not just Haruhi. The more the merrier.

As I began to take another sip of hot cocoa, I heard the twins ask: "Hey, K.C.?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's your shoe size?"

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, wondering why they would ask such a random question.

Setting my mug down on the table I glanced over at them. "6 1/2," I answered simply. "Why?"

**~ . . * . . ~**

It had been half an hour since the hosts put on their jackets, scarves, gloves, and then packed a few blankets in a duffle bag, and some drinks in a cooler. We walked about half a mile or so down the mountain until the eight of us stood in front of a large lake with thick ice covering the top. A few naked trees surrounded the lake, while the towns and mountains lay off in the distance. While the hosts set down everything they packed, I gazed out at the lake with a raised eyebrow, completely confused.

"What're we doing here?" I inquired.

"What's it look like?" I heard the twins asked.

I turned around to face the two brothers, who had silly grins plastered on their faces. Both of their hands were behind their backs, obviously concealing something, which only made me more perplexed as to what in the world was going on. The twins glanced over at each other, with those grins still on their faces, and then they brought their hands around to the front, revealing a pair of brown shoes with blades on the bottom.

"Ice skating!" they cheered together.

I only blinked as I stared at the two brothers. We were going ice skating? On a lake? Well, that was how they did it back in the old days. Plus, I could overhear Tamaki saying something about "how the commoners originally preformed figure skating". I sighed at him and shook my head, but suddenly a pair of skates was shoved in my arms. I gazed down at the pair of modified shoes in my arms, and then back up at the brothers.

"6 1/2," Hikaru spoke.

"That's what you said," Kaoru added.

"Something tells me that you guys planned this ahead of time and already knew my shoe size," I remarked flatly.

The twins only smirked, and then they strode over to a picnic table with their own pair of skates and proceeded to slip them on. I, on the other hand, traveled over to another picnic table where Kyoya was sitting, typing away on his laptop. I set the skates down on the table and gazed at him. His eyes were glued to the screen as if he hadn't noticed me sit down across from him.

I grinned as I pushed the lid of his computer, which caused him to cease typing. "I thought I told you to spend some time with your friends."

Kyoya glanced up at me, and then adjusted his glasses with that smirk on his face. "So, _we're_ friends?"

"Well, as far as I know, you and I are still acquaintances," I answered. "But, I'm talking about you and the other hosts."

The Shadow King pushed the lid of his computer back up and continued typing. "I spend time with Tamaki during class and the others during club hours."

I sighed. "I know _that_. But, I'm saying that you should spend time with your friends, senpai. You're going to be graduating at the end of the year, so you should at least spend as much time with your friends and classmates before the year ends."

There was a pause as Kyoya stopped typing. I wasn't sure if he was thinking over what I had just told him, or he was completely ignoring me the entire time and trying to figure out what to type next. I rapped my fingers on the wooden table as I stared at him waiting for an answer.

"What about you?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"From what you've mentioned, you only have one year here at Ouran, correct?"

"Uh... Yeah..."

"So, why don't _you _spend time with your friends?"

I was hesitant as I tried to come up with something, and I fiddled around with the laces on the skates. It would be embarrassing to just flat out tell him the truth; but as I glanced up at him, I noticed that he had stopped tying and gave me that_ "I'll-know-the-truth-whether-you-lie-or-not"_ look on his face.

Sighing, I sat up straight. "I would but... I can't ice skate."

"_YOU CAN'T ICE SKATE?_" a pair of voices cried from behind me.

Giving a small yelp in surprise, I whirled around to find the ginger-haired twins with their eyes widened as they stared down at me unblinkingly. I blushed as I rubbed the back of my head with my hand and glanced away in embarrassment.

"No..." I mumbled.

"Then you have to try it out," Hikaru spoke as he took a seat beside me and raised my leg.

"It won't be any fun without you," Kaoru added as he slipped on the shoe.

I stayed silent as I watched the two brothers slip on my skates and tie them for me. The tapping of keys emanated from behind me; and when I glanced over, I noticed that Kyoya was back on his laptop, typing away with his eyes glued to the screen.

"Come on, K.C.," the twins spoke as each grabbed an arm and pulled my up on my feet.

I teetered as I tried to balance myself on the metal blades. I even lost my balance a few times, but the twins would catch me and pull me back up on my feet. Smiling nervously, I took one step at a time with the twins as we made our way over to the lake. I stopped and glanced back over my shoulder at Kyoya who sat alone at the picnic table while everyone else was squealing with joy as they glided around on the ice.

"You sure you don't want to come, senpai?" I called out to him.

"Positive," came his reply.

I sighed as I turned back and traveled with the two brothers toward the lake. Hikaru and Kaoru stepped onto the frozen water first, and supported me from falling when I slipped and nearly broke my rear... if that was even possible. As soon as I was balanced on my feet Hikaru released me and glided a few feet across the ice before turning back to Kaoru and me.

"Okay, the first thing you need to learn is how to move across the ice," he spoke.

"Put one foot out," Kaoru instructed. I mimicked him as he continued, "and then push off with the other."

"Okay, got it," I answered.

Kaoru slowly released me, and my legs quivered from underneath me as I tried to balance myself. I swallowed hard as glanced over at Hikaru, who seemed to be miles away from where I stood with Kaoru. I took a few deep breaths to relieve myself of my nerves, and then I kept my focus on the older twin.

_Just one foot in front of the other..._ I thought to myself as I took small glides across the ice.

I wobbled a few times, but kept my balance until I landed in Hikaru's arms. "I guess I don't know the breaks yet."

Hikaru only chuckled and then turned me around to face Kaoru. I practiced gliding across the ice back and forth from the twins; but after only three times, my legs grew sore. I concluded that it was because I was pushing off more with smaller steps, so I decided to use more force so that I would glide a few feet before putting my foot back down. Once I got into the rhythm, Hikaru, Kaoru and I raced the width of the lake back and forth, the twins winning of course since they were the pros.

After about half an hour, I began to glide across the ice solo. The other hosts would join me sometimes, and I couldn't help myself but laugh when Tamaki tried to push himself up after falling on the ice. My gaze soon traveled over to Kyoya, who was still trying away on his laptop, while his skates lay beside him on the ground. I sighed wishing that he could take a break, so he could loosen up and have some fun.

"Hey, K.C.!" I heard Tamaki call my name.

Snapping out of my reverie, I glanced up to find that I was at the other end of the lake while the other hosts were gliding around at the other end.

"Come back over here!" he continued. "Haruhi taught us a fun trick that commoners do! We're going to start a conga line while skating!"

I was hesitant for a moment because I wasn't sure how everything would turn out, considering the fact that I just learned how to ice skate. Nevertheless, I sighed and glanced back over at the hosts.

"I'll be right there!" I called back.

Right when I set my foot down on the ice, I felt it sink slightly. I froze in place as I glanced down at the frozen water beneath me. Underneath my skates, there were cracks in the ice, and I could barely see the water sloshing around. Lifting my foot up, I used my other foot to push me off; however, I felt the ice sink somewhat beneath me. I stared down at the cracked ice as more thin white lines grew from the previous made ones.

"This can't be good," I spoke to myself.

"Is everything okay, K.C.-chan?" Hunny's high-pitched voice broke my thoughts.

"Uh... yeah," I spoke glancing up at the six hosts who stopped skating and stared at me. "Everything's fine, senpai. Just... just trying to keep my balance."

I gazed up at them and wobbled somewhat to try and convince them. The hosts continued to stare at me confused. While Hunny, Mori, and Tamaki started gliding around on the ice again, the others continued to stare at me perplexed. I tried to feign keeping my balance while also trying to walk back towards them without cracking the ice any more.

"Are you sure everything is fine, K.C.?" the twins called out.

"Yeah, everything fi-"

At that moment, my foot gave in on my, and I toppled sideways, giving a cry in surprise. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion as I held my breath and landed on my back, smashing through the ice. I was sure that someone called out my name at that moment, but it was hard to tell from underwater. I could see the shadows of the hosts on the ice as they skate over to the gaping hole i just created, which caused some more ice to break off.

Perfect. Just perfect.

I frantically began twisting my body around and moving my arms around in an attempt to swim upwards towards the surface. Well, all that did was made me spin around in circles. That only made me panic even more. I couldn't swim, and even if I attempted to try, the weight on the skates would still pull me down to the bottom of the lake. I could feel my heartbeat ringing in my ears as I flailed my arms around to try and force myself up to the surface. Still no luck.

Glancing up, I saw six shadows near the hole, not wanting to get to close for fear of falling through and suffering the same fate as me. Right when I was going to try a third time to make my way up to the surface, I froze as my lungs felt like they were being squeezed together. I probably shouldn't have panicked so much or else I wouldn't be stuck at in the middle of the lake with no possibly way of escaping.

With all the strength I could muster, I swung my arms around, but my strength eventually weakened. I covered my mouth with my hand to keep myself from inhaling the water, but it was no use. My lungs were starving for oxygen. Glancing up at the hole I fell through, my vision soon became clouded. The last thing I saw was the shadows of seven figures on the ice and the faint sunlight radiating through the hole in the ice, and then nothing else.

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**MWUAAAAHHAAAAAHAAAAHAAAA! AAAHAAAHAAAHAA HAA HAA! EPIC CLIFFHANGER!**

**Man, I haven't used a good one like that since Chapter 7, and that was a **_**long**_** time ago...**

**Anyways, sorry you guys... The real chapter would've been SUPER LONG if I wrote it, and I'm dead tired. -.-'. I would've finished it sooner, but the website was acting up on me and making me angry by cutting off the internet everytime iI went to save! Grrrr :(**

***Sighs* Well, at least It's done now, and, yeah I Know what you guy's are thinking... "GAH! Supergirl! You're sooooo EVIL! Well, can't wait to see what happens next week!"**

***Buzzer noise* Wrong-O! I'm actually taking next week off because of Thanksgiving... I need a break... -.-'**

**Yeah, sorry about that you guys, but i couldn't resist! ;). My timing couldn've been better either...**

**IMPORTANT MESSAGE!**

**Okay, I know that I was evil and left you guys ahnging here... but! I want to see what you guys think happens next! It's optionals, but write a review on what you think happens in the next part! It can be in a summary format or... a story format (a fanfic about a fanfic:D). You guys dont have to do it. But, I would love to see what ideas you come up with.**

**Happy Thanksgiving everyone!**

**RATE AND REVIEW PEOPLES!**

**Replies to reviews from last chapter****:**

**Aurora-16****: Thanks! Ooooh Candy Canes! I'm gearing up for the Holidays! Thanks!**

**Me and Gaara 4ever: Hmmmm, I'll think about that. Thanks for tuning in!**

**unami: Yep, Vic is a tru-blu Star Trek nerd. Haha! But ya just gotta love him! ;). Thanks! Oh, my deviantart... Yeah, being a n00b, I meesed up on a couple of things and changed my account... The URL should be on my profile.**

**AllyraMortlock: I saw pictures and vids of the con on YouTube. And I saw a picture of a girl with Kyoya. Was she wearing the Ouran male uniform? The girl in the picture was... Anyways, it would've been cool it you did get a pic ^.^ But, that's okay!**

**Lock'n'Key You'n'Me: Yayz! 'Horton Hears a Who' quote! I love that movie! Yay for 'Fitting In'! And YAY for pen-pals!**

**silverrain1312: Thanks! Star Trek ftw. Oh, I know, right? But sometimes if the story's really good and gets sucked in the romance, I still read it ^.^ And, yay you've got a fortune cookie line! Lasting relationship absolutely Do NOT work that way. Haha!**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. *evil smiles* I have an idea jot down in my notebook... hehehe... I would never make my fans cry! Seeing my fans cry makes me cry too! Thanks!**

**Lydia kyoya: Awwww... thanks!**


	30. Surprises around the Corner Part 2

**Wassup Everyone! Hope you guys had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Or whatever you guys did last week!**

**Sorry I left you guys hanging around that last chapter... But I couldn't resist! ^.^ I know... I'm evil, but I still love you guys!**

***Shreiks and then dodges as a cooked turkey hurls toward me* hehe ^-^' sorry guys! Really! BUt, at least you all had a great thanksgiving, right?**

**Well, anyways, I love the stories you guys submitted about what you thought would happen! They were awesome! But now, it's time for the unveiling of the REAL chapter!**

**Hope you guys like it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, or its characters. If I did, I would change things up a little. Make it a little more random. Teehe! :)**

**Claimer: I own all of my OC's!**

**

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_**Previously, on "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In"...**_

_"Hey, K.C.?" the twins inquired simultaneously. "What's your shoe size?"_

_"6 1/2. Why?" she answered simply._

_..._

_The host club, plus Katherine, stood in front of a large lake with the top frozen in a thick sheet of ice._

_"Why are we here again?" the American girl inquired to no one in particular._

_"What's it look like?" a pair of voices chirped in response. Then, the twins held up a pair of shoes with blades attached to the bottom. "Ice skating!"_

_..._

_"Come over here, K.C.!" Tamaki called out to the girl on the other side of the lake. "Haruhi taught us a fun trick that commoners do when ice skating!"_

_"I'll be right there!" she called back._

_Katherine set one foot out to begin gliding her way across the ice, but the frozen water beneath her began to crack. She stood there frozen as she gazed worriedly down at the ice, and thin white cracks began to form._

_..._

_"Are you sure everything's fine, K.C.?" the twins call out._

_"Yeah," the fourteen-year-old answered, placing pressure on her opposite foot. "Everything's fi-"_

_She was cut off by the cracking ice that collapsed beneath her, while she herself wobbled to and fro, but eventually toppled sideways, breaking through the ice upon impact._

_"K.C.!" the two brothers cried out._

_All eyes quickly glanced over at the girl, and they watched in shock as the girl's body plunged through the ice._

_While submerged, Katherine tried her hardest to swim back up to the surface. However, with little swimming experience, K.C. was unable to bring herself up for a breath of oxygen. She gazed up at the broken hole while seven shadows hovered over the ice. Soon, her body grew limp as unconsciousness took over. ..._

_

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_**And now... the moment you guys have so patiently waited for...**_

**~ Chapter 30 ~**

**Surprises around the Corner**

**Part 2**

_Snowflakes fluttered and danced in the air as they were whipped around in the chilling winter breeze, and then they collected on the ground and stuck to each other like glue. The trees had been shed of their colorful coats and stood erect in the frigid, white ground along the white, cobblestone pathway. The forest was quiet without the critters, which typically scurried about, to liven up the area since they were all deep in their hibernation._

_Small boots pressed down in the patches of snow, creating a small crunching noise with every step that was taken, and, after the boot was raised, ridged footprints remained one ahead of the other. Followed after that were a pair of thin lines, created by the wheels of a small gray suitcase as it was dragged down the pathway. The thin lines created by the wheels would plow through the already made footprints, and sometimes even glide over to the other side._

_A gloved hand covered over a cherry-red, frost bitten mouth to contain a small sneeze, and then said hand was wiped across a nose, which made a sniffling sound._

_"I'm going to find you, big brother," a female, child-like voice squeaked from the figure's throat. "I want my family complete."_

_Suddenly, the ringing of a bell sounded from down the pathway. Immediately, the little girl snapped her head up and froze in place as she gazed down the trail. Her ocean blue eyes scanned the road ahead of her as a blur of a red, two-wheeled vehicle, with a young passenger set in its seat, zoomed by. What caught the girl's attention was his thick, but short brunette hair, and the child's eyes widened as a smile spread across her face._

_Without hesitation, the little girl dashed down the icy, snow covered pathway. Her little pigtails, which were held together by green ribbons, flopped up and down against her back as she hurried after the bicycle. Suddenly, she slipped on a patch of ice and collapsed onto the stone pathway. Using her arms to prop her tiny body up, she gazed after the red bike as it minimized the further it retreated from her sight. Warm, moist tears began to form in the little girl's eyes not because of falling on the ground and hurting herself, but because she lost the one chance she had after searching for days for her long-lost, older brother._

_Or so she thought..._

_Right when the child thought that she lost all hope of finding her brother, the bicycle came to a halt by a small cafe. Curious, the little girl tilted her head and arched an eyebrow as she stared onward at the bicycle. As soon as she noticed the passenger dismount, the child quickly scrambled to her feet and dashed towards the cafe. A wide smile spread across her face as she drew closer to the passenger of the two-wheeler._

_It was a young boy in his early teens. He was tall with a lean frame, and his wavy, brunette hair curled at the ends. Even though his back was facing the child, who proceeded to race towards him, she couldn't keep that smile off her face._

_"Joseph!" her raspy voice cried out._

_At that moment, the boy turned around as the little girl decreased her speed while she neared him. As curious as he was to know what the girl wanted, he splashed on a warm smile as he crouched down to her level. "Hey there, little girl. What brings you here?"_

_The child was barely able to speak, mainly because the cold weather dried her throat; but also, her voice quaked as tears spilled out from her eyes. Before the boy could ask what the matter was, the little girl flung her arms around his neck and buried her pale, frost bitten face into his jacket-covered shoulder. The boy responded to her dismay by wrapping his arms around her tiny body and pulled her towards him._

_"There, there," he spoke, rubbing the girl's back with his hand. "Everything's going to be all right."_

_The child sniffled and dried her eyes with her sleeve. Afterwards, she pulled away and gazed into the boy's emerald-green eyes, who only smiled sweetly back at her. Even though her throat still quivered and her eyes were somewhat moist, she couldn't help but splash on a small smile._

_"Are you lost?" the boy asked after a few moments of silence._

_The girl shook her head, but continued to smile. "I found __**you**__."_

_Arching an eyebrow in confusion, the young boy stared down at the girl. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you mean."_

_"You're my big brother," the little girl proclaimed, pointing at him with her tiny index finger._

_The teenager continued to gaze down at the child, still confused. As silence filled the air amongst the two, the little girl's smile faded as she gazed at the boy._

_"I'm sorry," the boy spoke with a small smile. "You must have me confused for someone else."_

_"No. No I don't!" the girl cried as fresh tears began to well up in her glistening sapphire eyes. "You're my big brother!"_

_"Again, I'm sorry. I'm an only child."_

_"But..."_

_The little girl trailed off as her voice began to quiver again. Right when the child was about to give up, realization dawned on her. Placing her suitcase on the snow-covered ground, she unzipped it and lifted the lid upward, revealing a few sets of clothes and a few bags of snacks. The little girl rummaged around while the boy observed her, still confused. Once her hand rested on a thin piece of paper, the girl pulled it out and handed it to the boy._

_Even though he was still perplexed, the teenager accepted the paper and unfolded it. The boy's eyes widened as he gazed down at the photograph in his hands. "This picture was taken years ago." Then, he glanced over at the girl."Where did you get this?"_

_"I... I was playing in Mommy and Daddy's room..." the little girl began lamely. "I found the picture in Mommy's jewelry box, but... but she didn't say what it was about. But, the nice lady that works at Mommy and Daddy's big house told me the whole story."_

_Still taken aback by the evidence, the boy continued to stare back and forth from the photo, to the little girl, and then back down at the photograph in his hands._

_"Joseph..." the little girl spoke hoarsely. "You just have to be my brother."_

_The teenager faced the child who looked as if she were about to send a waterfall of tears spilling over her flushed, pink cheeks. Her big, sparkling blue-green eyes never left his as the two stared at each other._

_After a moment of silence, the boy smiled and gazed down at the picture. "Well, there's no other evidence that can deny __**this**__." Then, he turned his attention to the little girl. "If you found this picture, and was told that your brother ran away, then I guess that there's no doubt that I'm your brother._

_The little girl's face lit up as she gazed up at the teenage boy with wide, blue eyes. Unable to contain her excitement, she threw her arms around the boy. "Hooray!"_

_Both siblings stayed holding each other close never wanting to release the other. For the little girl, everything felt so right at the moment. Despite the weather outside being chilling to the bone, a warm sensation began to swell up inside her._

_"Oh, I just realized something," Joseph spoke, pulling away slightly. "What's your name?"_

_"Katherine Carol Johnson," the little girl spoke proudly. Then, she held up her hand. "I'm five."_

_"Can I call you Katie, or K.C. maybe?"_

_"K.C.! I like that one!" the girl cheered, jumping up and down._

_Joseph only smiled adoringly down at the little girl. "All right, now we best get you inside. You don't want to get sick out here in the cold."_

_Then, the teenager assisted the child with zipping up her suitcase. Afterwards, he hoisted her up so that he held her with his arm supporting her back, while he carried the child's suitcase with his free hand._

_Suddenly, realization dawned on the girl. "If I'm K.C., then what do I call you?"_

_"Joe will be fine," the boy answered._

_The little girl smiled as she wrapped her arms around the boy's neck, nuzzling her head against his. Once the two were set, Joseph strode inside the cafe, and the warmth from the heater thawed out his, as well as the little girl's, stiff, cold body. Despite the change in temperature, the little girl continued to smile dreamily as she nuzzled her head against her brother's._

_"I'm really glad I found you, Joe," she spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Now I have a whole family."_

_...A whole family..._

**~ . . * . . ~**

The scene slowly faded out into darkness with the words "A whole family" echoing off into the distance. Once there was a complete blackout, silence filled the air. After a few moments, however, the darkness was replaced by the setting of a dimly lit room with the only light source radiating from an open door, which led into a hallway. The room was small, while I lay on a cushy mattress.

I assumed that I laid down for an afternoon nap, and now it was evening. Of course, I couldn't help but look back on my dream. Obviously, I dreamt about when I first met my brother, and we became a whole family, but... why? Why did I have a flashback? Was I _that_ homesick?

Suddenly, an aching throb of pain in the back of my head interjected my thoughts; and on top of all of that, there was constant beeping noise from the left. Great... the one noise I detested the most, especially after being woken up, that was bound to give me a migraine. I groaned as I turned my head towards the source.

"Stupid alarm..." I mumbled, weakly tossing my hand over and groping around for an off switch. "...shut up..."

I continued to wave my hand around in that air, while the beeping noise continued to ring beside me. My hand soon rested on a smooth box, and I continued to sweep my hand around it to find the switch. Okay, now this was starting to irritate me to my breaking point. Even though I was woken by my alarm clock countless numbers of times before, it was the most irritating when I didn't get enough rest, or sleep well, at all. My head was throbbing with pain, and the constant beeping was beginning to give me a migraine.

"...This time... I'm _really_ going to smash you against the wall..." I mumbled.

Suddenly, the mattress beneath me sank; and before I could turn my head to see who it was, two, warm hands clasped over my outstretched one.

"I suggest that you refrain from doing that," a deep, male voice spoke calmly from above me as the two hands pulled my own away from the box.

Opening my eyes halfway, I turned my head towards the source of the voice. The room I was in was still benighted with the faint light spilling in from a crack in the door. I squinted my eyes, trying to make out the silhouetted figure looming above me, but he remained camouflaged with the shadows behind him. I presumed that the hands that held onto mine belonged to him, and I must confess that they were rather warm. Although, I just couldn't quite figure out who in the world this person was.

Then, the figure took one hand off of mine and moved it towards his face. "Hospital equipment is very costly. You wouldn't like anything else added to your debt, would you?"

I tilted my head to the side, perplexed, as I continued to stare up at the figure. As he lowered his hand from his face, there was a faint light reflecting from his two round walls of glass that hovered in front of his face. After staring up at him for a while, thoughts began to flood into my mind, and realization struck me.

"Ootori-senpai?" I inquired weakly, sitting up.

Once I did though, I sharp pain zapped straight towards my chest. I winced in pain as I clutched my upper torso with my free hand, and then I clenched my teeth together, waiting for the pain to subside. What in the world happened? It felt like there were knives lodged into my ribs!

Before I could ask, I felt Kyoya take his hands from mine and gently place them on my shoulders. "Take it easy, Johnson," he spoke, slowly pushing me back down on the mattress.

I continued to hold my torso with my hand, and the pain gradually disappeared as soon as my back was flat and my head rested on a cushy pillow. My head was still throbbing somewhat, but it didn't compare to the sharp pain I just felt. Thousands of questions began to buzz around in my mind, especially where was I? And, why was I in a completely dark room with the Shadow King?

As I gazed around at my surroundings, my eyesight began to adjust to the darkness of the room, which I couldn't familiarize. The constant beeping filled the dull silence, and I glanced up to find that it wasn't my alarm clock, it was a heart rate monitor. For what, though? Did something happen to me?

Right when I was going to ask the Ootori boy, I felt his hand slide under my head. I nearly gasped from surprise, but I contained it as he felt around the back of my skull. After what felt like hours, he drew his back and then placed it on my forehead. I could feel my face begin to heat up as his hand lingered on my brow for what seemed like ages! I continued to gaze around the room, to keep myself from glancing up into the silhouetted face of the Shadow King.

"You do realize that you can breathe?" I heard him ask.

As soon as he said that, my lungs began screaming for oxygen, and I took in a lungful of oxygen. When did I even start holding my breath? More importantly, why was I even acting like this? I was with Kyoya Ootori, the Shadow King. The only harmful thing he could possibly do to me would be to raise my debt. But, why did his closeness have such a huge affect on me?

"You're rather feverish," he remarked, drawing his hand back.

I mentally sighed with relief. At least he didn't notice the blushing, or anything!

"How do you feel?" he inquired.

I groaned as I rubbed the back of my head with my hand, trying to rid myself of the throbbing. "Aside from the fact that I feel like I've been hit by a truck... I'm just peachy..."

"Well, you have to be close to your old self to make a remark like that," Kyoya commented, and, even though I could barely make out his face, I could tell he was smirking.

I rolled my eyes, and then I set my arm down by my side. "Where am I anyway?"

"You're still in Koriyama," he answered, "In one of my family's hospitals."

_Koriyama?_ I repeated in my mind. Why did that name ring a bell? Continuing to repeat that name in my mind, I searched through my memory, attempting to figure out where I heard that name said before. It was the name of a place definitely, but how did I get from my apartment in Tokyo to here? As I thought over it more, scenes flashed through my mind, and my memory gradually began to come back to me.

There was a snow day, so school was out for Thursday and Friday. The hosts kidnapped Haruhi and me, and took us on a trip to Koriyama at Hunny's vacation home. Hikaru and Kaoru began a snowball war amongst the hosts and I, we built snowmen and snow sculptures, and then we arrived at a large lake with the water frozen on top. I couldn't remember anything further from that.

"What happened?" I inquired.

"You fell through thin ice into the lake," answered Kyoya.

"Huh?"

"Don't you remember?"

"Not really..."

As I gazed back up at Kyoya, I froze as he reached his hand out towards my face, and then he brushed a strand of hair from my face and curved it behind my ear. My heart began racing away as his hand lingered on the side of my face, and I was sure that it was evident concerning the fact that I was hooked up to a pulse monitor. _Please, don't notice..._ I pleaded over and over in my mind. Glancing up at the Shadow King, I stared up into his smoky-gray eyes that were barely visible behind the walls of glass with the light from the monitor reflecting from them. He didn't seem to notice my body's uncontrollable reaction to his touch, so I calmed myself down as I continued to gaze up at him.

"Hikaru and Kaoru took everyone ice skating," Kyoya began. "I stayed behind to work on balancing the clubs budget because of the snow day. You were all skating on the ice, and then you wandered too far across the lake onto the thin ice and fell through."

"But, you guys all pulled me out, or else I wouldn't be here, right?" I asked.

Kyoya nodded.

"If that was the case, how come I didn't wake up out by the lake or something?" I inquired.

"You drowned, Johnson," the Shadow King answered calmly.

My mouth nearly dropped open in shock as I stared up at him. Visions of floating around in the frigid water and the sun peaking through a giant hole in the ice above me, began to pour back into my memory. So, I didn't make it up to the surface after all. Well, _that_ was a no-brainer considering the fact that I had absolutely no idea how to swim

"You were dead for nearly four minutes," Kyoya added.

I paled as the mere thought of my limp corpse being dragged from the frigid waters and set down on the snow entered my mind. _Four minutes? _I repeated in my mind. _Seriously? Man, I sure am glad that the hosts pulled me out of there. _

"Tamaki called the paramedics while everyone else teamed up to rescue you," Kyoya explained further. "One dove in while the others hauled the both of you to shore with a rope. After that, it was artificial respiration until the paramedics arrived to take over. You were alive before then, of course."

"So what did _you _do?" I inquired with a scowl. "Give the paramedics my information?"

Then, I noticed that smirk creep up on his face as he took his hand off my face. "On the contrary," he spoke, adjusting his glasses. "I did most of the rescuing."

My eyes widened as my mouth dropped. You have got to be kidding me... If Kyoya was one of the hosts who rescued me, which one was he? Was he the one who dove in to grab me? Did he pull on the rope to pull me and my rescuer to shore? Or... or did he...

"S-senpai," I stammered. "Y-y-you didn't..."

I trailed off as I gazed up into his eyes. He still had that smug grin on his face as he gazed down at me. He honestly didn't do CPR, did he? My face began to heat up, and turn every shade of red possible as the scene played in my mind.

"Do what?" he inquired, breaking the silence.

"Uh... oh, nothing, senpai..." I answered, glancing away.

Then, I felt Kyoya's hand snake back over to the side of my face, and goose-bumps trailed down my skin at his touch. Before I could say, or do, anything else, the Shadow King turned my head to face him. Of course, once my eyes locked onto his, I realized that his face was mere inches away from mine. I held my breath and swallowed hard as I gazed into the deep pool of gray hovering above me.

"You're a terrible liar, you know," he spoke.

His gentle, warm breath on my lips sent chills down my spine and more goose-bumps crawling over my skin. Why in the world was I acting like this? I didn't have a fondness for Kyoya Ootori, not anymore anyway. Still, why was my reaction like this?

"Senpai..." I groaned, placing my hands on his shoulders, attempting to push him away. "Please, move back. I'm... claustrophobic."

"No you're not," he answered, sitting up straight.

Taking my hands off of him, I released a sigh in defeat, and then I turned my attention towards the Ootori boy. "Why are you acting like this? This isn't you. In fact, why did you even bother to rescue me?"

"You're reckless," he answered. "I couldn't allow you to slip away from me like that."

_Say what now?_ I gazed up at him questionably. If I heard him correctly, Kyoya just said "_I couldn't let you slip away from __**me**__". _Did he mean...

Of course, that grin snuck up on his face. "Where would I get the rest of the money for your debt from? I doubt you'd want to see your brother in bankruptcy."

I nodded affirming, but then I allowed the first thing he said to run through my mind. "Funny," I spoke with a smirk. "For a second there it sounded like you were concerned about me."

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "I was concerned about where we could find a new chef, yes. That doesn't necessarily mean that I was concerned about _you_."

I shrugged. "It was just a thought."

"You always have 'thoughts'."

"Now don't start _this _with me again, or I swear _you_ will be in this hospital as well!"

"You do realize that my family has the power to sue you for any physical contact."

"Of course I do!" Then, I slouched back into the pillow and mumbled, "I seriously hate that smart-elec attitude of yours."

Kyoya only grinned and adjusted his glasses. Geez, he can be a real pain in the neck sometimes. But why did he even bother to dive in and rescue me? Was he really worried about me? I scoffed at the thought. Doubt it. Kyoya was definitely _not_ the type to worry about anyone. And I didn't care what the other hosts thought about him saying that "_he just doesn't like to show his feelings_."

I sighed at the thought, wishing that Kyoya truly did care. To save myself from my despair, I decided to think of another subject. First off, why in the world was I dreaming of a flashback? That was years ago, but I was able to remember every vivid detail. Of course, Joe didn't call me K.C. at first. _That_ nickname didn't come around until we moved into our home. I had another nickname before then, but it was just a little too embarrassing to think about at the moment.

Still, why did I even dream about a flashback, anyway? I guess it was because I was dead for four minutes; of course, that would've been my dream while I was dead. From what I've heard, people, who encounter near-death experiences, have their entire life flash before their eyes. Well, I didn't remember any visions flash, or a white light at least. Maybe... maybe I was just a little homesick.

"You have two weeks until you leave for America," Ootori spoke, interjecting my thoughts. "Then you can be home with your brother."

I froze as I stared up at him. "You have got to stop reading people's minds, okay? It freaks them out."

"I didn't intend to," Kyoya spoke with that smirk. "You were talking in your sleep."

"Oh..." _That's a little embarrassing..._

Silence filled the dimly lit room as I gazed around. I expected to find Kyoya's laptop or notebook sitting on a table by the bed; but no, nothing was there. Okay, now I was starting to freak out a little. First off, Kyoya "rescues" me, or so he says, then he acts all nice and concerned, and on top of all of that, he didn't have his laptop the entire time he was in the room! That wasn't very Kyoya-like at all... Didn't he always have his laptop/notebook with him? Either I was in a parallel universe, or still dreaming. Well, I was asleep for a while... it _was_ a "while", right?

"Hey, senpai?" I asked, glancing back over at him. "How long have I been out, anyway?"

"Approximately twenty-four hours," he answered.

I froze as I stared at him. _You mean to say that it's Friday evening already?_ I thought. _I missed today's breakfast, lunch, __**and**__ dinner?_ Time sure does fly by fast when you're unconscious. Well, it was a good thing that I even woke up. If I didn't make it, Kyoya would have to request the remainder of my debt from Joe, which could ruin anything he had planned to do while I was away. I couldn't do that to my brother no matter what.

"Your brother must mean a lot to you," Kyoya spoke breaking the silence.

"Well, yeah..." I answered. "He's the only family I really ever had." Then I relaxed as I lounged back against the pillows. "Of course, like I said earlier -er, yesterday-, whenever I'm here in Japan, I miss Joe; and when I'm back in America, I miss everyone here. The hosts, some of my classmates, everything. Either way, I still get homesick."

Closing my eyes, I sighed, and then lay there in the midst of silence. The mattress sank and rose as Kyoya shifted his body around on the bed. Presumably, he was going to climb off and head out of the room; however, when I opened my eyes, there was his face, hovering mere inches above mine. My face flushed a deep red as I stared unblinkingly into his smoky gray eyes, while my voice became jammed in my throat whenever I tried to utter a simple word.

"S-s-senpai...?" I managed to stutter out.

He only smirked. "So, you missed the hosts?"

"Yeah," I answered simply.

"_All_ of them?"

"Yeah... Ever since I began working for the club, they've become my closest fr-"

Suddenly, realization struck me, and I stopped there in mid sentence. Obviously, Kyoya was working his logic skills on me. He himself was a host, and I told him that I missed the hosts; so, simply translated into a logical form, it could be taken as "_I missed each one of the hosts."_ including Kyoya. I froze as I stared up at him like a deer caught in the bright headlights of a car.

"Go on," Kyoya spoke slowly.

With that, he leaned in a little closer, and I reacted by pulling my body back until it sank almost entirely into the fluffy pillow. Nevertheless, Kyoya's face was still mere centimeters from mine. My heart began to race away once again as I continued to stare up at him. I noticed a familiar glint in his eyes as he locked his gaze onto mine, and he had that grin still plastered on his face.

The last time Kyoya gazed at me like that was when we arrived back at my apartment from the amusement park. That was months ago, but, to me, it still felt like only yesterday. The Ootori boy walked me back to my apartment room, and then surprised me by pinning me against the concrete wall. I remembered the entire scene vividly as the images played in my mind. The more I thought about that night, the more they continued to play. The silence fell between us as Kyoya gazed into my eyes, and then...

My heart skipped as I thought about that last scene. Kyoya kissed me then, and now that he had that same look... was he going to do it again?

"S-senpai..." I squeaked.

But, I was cut off when the Shadow King gently stroked my chin as he tilted my head upwards. I inhaled sharply and held my breath as I continued to stare into his eyes, which soon closed as he tilted his head to the side and moved closer to my face. Words couldn't explain what I was feeling at the moment. I trembled as his warm breath flowed against my lips, and... was that peppermint I smelled? Millions of thoughts buzzed around in my mind, both questions and thoughts. He was actually going to kiss me!

_What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?_ I screamed in my mind. _Do I push him away or kiss him back?_

"Come now, Katherine," the Shadow King whispered. "Relax."

Oh, I relaxed all right, but not because he told me to. It was because he called me by my name. It had been months since he's addressed me that way, but... I thought we weren't on good terms with each other. Well, I guess that if Kyoya allowed it to slide, I should as well.

Of course, I couldn't waste any more time thinking about that. I had to figure out what in the world I was supposed to do. I only had a few seconds before Kyoya's lips were locked onto mine. But, then a thought came to me... did I really want this? As I gazed up at the ceiling, a small smile crossed my lips, and then I closed my eyes.

_Oh, yes I do._

And with that, I relaxed every muscle in my body as I tilted my head upward so that my lips would meet his. Moments passed as I stayed in that position, while the only sound echoing through the dimly lit room was the beeping noise from the monitor. The scent of the peppermint from his breath had disappeared, and I felt his hand move away from my chin. Arching an eyebrow in confusion, I opened my eyes to find Kyoya sitting up on the bed while gazing down at me with that smirk on his face.

I continued to stare up at him, bewildered why Kyoya didn't kiss me, but then I realized that he was only teasing me. Slightly blushing, I turned and looked away. To him, I must've looked desperate, eagerly craving that peppermint scent on his breath as his lips locked onto mine. Why would Kyoya tease me, though? Blackmail, not likely, since it would involve him as well. Sighing, I adjusted my upper body so that I lounged against the pillow, while Kyoya turned and stood up off the bed.

"Hey, senpai," I spoke as he grabbed his jacket from a nearby chair, "how long am I supposed to be in here?"

"Just for the rest of the night," he answered, slipping his arms through the sleeves. Then, he began walking towards the door. "I'll drop by tomorrow morning and take you back to your apartment."

I reddened at the thought of being with the Shadow King in his limo for a full two hours. What would we talk about? Well, knowing him, he would most likely be on his laptop during the ride. Still, it was kind of him to offer.

"Hey, Kyoya?" I asked, sitting up.

The Shadow King came to a halt just before he exited into the hall, and then he turned to me. "Yes, Katherine?"

I blushed when he said my name, but I doubt that he could tell. "I... I just wanted to say..." I hesitated. "Thanks... for everything." Then I smiled as I gazed across the room at him. "You're a great friend."

Kyoya grinned back as he leaned against the door frame coolly. "So, we're friends?"

I shrugged. "Might as well be. I mean, it really isn't fair that I'm good friends with all the other hosts and not you; plus... I owe you one."

"Oh, you definitely owe me."

Just be the tone of his voice, I froze instantly. "Meaning..."

"The hospital bill is going to be added to your debt."

I paled at the thought of receiving a bill with tons of zeros on it, and all of _that _was going to be added onto my debt. "Dare I ask how much?"

That stupid grin crept up on his face as he faced me. My body tensed up even more at the sight of the lights from the hallway reflecting off his spectacles. I didn't like where this was going...

The Shadow King adjusted his glasses, and gave that fake smile. "Just 1.2 million yen."

As the number ran through my mind a few more times, I felt like passing out right there on the mattress. I sure hoped that I was dreaming, and when I woke up, I would be back in my apartment room. Of course, after experiencing everything that occurred, I doubted that I was.

"G-great..." I stammered. "Can't wait to work to pay it off."

Kyoya only smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

With that, he turned and walked out of the room and down the hallway. As soon as I knew he was far down the hallway, I released an exasperated sigh and flopped back onto the mattress. Did he have to ruin the moment like that? Well, one thing was for sure was that I wasn't dreaming or else Kyoya would've gladly paid for the hospital bill himself. Beggars can't be choosers; and besides, I had been working for the club for a while now, the only difference was that I had to continued working to pay off and even larger debt. 300,000 yen for those glasses, 100,000 yen for those cakes, and now 1.2 million yen for the hospital stay. Well, it was his family's hospital, so that was a no-brainer why it was so expensive.

Closing my eyes, I relaxed my body and waited for sleep to relieve my thoughts about Kyoya and the Host Club.

* * *

**All righty! There you go you guys! A little one-on-one Katherine and Kyoya with no interruptions!**

**BTW this chapter was dedicated to silverrain1312. Did that heat up the Kyoya/Katherine thing enough for you, Ari? LOLz! Anyways, thanks for reading you guys!**

**Oh, and if you scroll down passed my rambling and the replies to reviewers from the last chapter, you'll find a little rectangle with the word "review" on it. If you guys could click on that and leave me a message, that would be super awesome! I luv you guys so much! You're great!**

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	31. New Friends, Good Times Part 1

**ALL RIGHT GUYS! TIME'S UP!**

**First things first, I absolutely LOVED the OCs you guys submitted. It was overwhelming when I opened my e-mail last Saturday to see 10 emails of OC submissions! BUT... like I promised you guys, your characters get a spot in the story. They won't ALL be in this chapter, but I promise that there are more chapters to come after this, so you'll see your characters in later chapters!**

**UUUGGGHHH! It took me FOREVER to write this chapter! CURSE YOU BEJELED BLITZ! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH AN ADDICTING GAME? *mushroom sigh* Well, now that I've finally gained enough willpower to write... Let's get one with the chapter! :D**

**Oh, you guys are probably wondering why I'm posting this a day early... Well, after school tomorrow, my family and I are going to visit some friends and stay at their house. Sooooo in other words, I won't have access to my computer until Saturday evening... So, yeah... But, I didn't want to make you guys wait for this chapter, so that's why I'm posting it a day early! Hope you enjoy it!**

**HEADS UP: Once again, this chapter had to be split into to parts because (1). I like leaving you guys off at cliffhangers (but, believe me, this one isn't as bad as the last one). and 2). It's super late! But, I'll try not to make everything choppy and write as if my writing juices were on overflow.**

**OCs CHOSEN FOR THIS CHAPTER:**

**Natalie Himuzawa (**_**ToniHeart**_**)**

**Taylor Zierau (**_**Snow'n'Cupcakes**_**)**

**Asuka Ajuma (**_**silverrain1312**_**)**

**Anyway, thanks for the submissions you guys! Now, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or its characters. And, I don't own Natalie Himuzawa, Tayor Zierau, or Asuka Ajume. THOSE OCs rightfully belong to their owners -listed above-**

**Claimer: I own K.C., and all of my other OCs that I'm too lazy to list ^-^'**

**

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**~ Chapter 31 ~**

**New Friends, Good Times**

**Part 1**

The naked trees stood erect in the stale grass that had been cleared of the snowfall; nevertheless, the harsh, chilling wind flowed harshly through the gaping branches. Frost covered the windows of the Academy, and the former, lush garden was a barren wasteland.

I raced down the cobblestone pathway towards the school with my hands tucked underneath my arms to prevent frostbite. As soon as I reached the front door, I turned the frozen handle, swung the door open, and then shut it behind me. Leaning against the door, I panted from exhaustion. The back of my throat felt dry and cold from running towards the school, as well as inhaling all that chilling air.

As soon as I caught my breath, I slipped my jacket off and then stuffed it into my satchel; then, I brushed out the wrinkles in my dress, and began walking down the pastel pink colored walls that lined the hallway. Once again, I was a little early for class, so the only sound that followed me through the halls and up the staircase were my echoing footsteps on the velvet red rug that covered the tiled floor.

I decreased my speed as I gazed around at the lavish paintings hung on the walls, and the colorful arrangement of flowers, which were placed in expensive-looking pottery that set atop a dark wood, carved end table. As I reached one of Ouran's many, giant windows, I stopped and gazed out at the scenery. Even though the frost outlined the edges of each individual rectangle, I could still see the fountain below, and the garden off to the side. From high above, the hedge maze looked like one of those mazes you'd find in a puzzle book. My eyes trailed around the scenery, memorizing every detail; but then, I released a sigh and turned around to continue down the hallway.

It was hard to believe that only a week ago I was in the hospital, recovering from falling through thin ice, and now December was nearly halfway over. In two weeks, I'd be back home in America with Joe and Mackenzie to spend Christmas with them. Of course, I'd be back at Ouran in January for the third term; but as soon as March would come around, I'd be in America for good.

As I looked back on my year at Ouran, it was a great run. I made a few friends, and became close friends with the Host Club. I growled under my breath as I thought over what occurred a week ago as Kyoya left the hospital:

_Kyoya grinned as he leaned against the doorframe coolly. "So, we're friends?"_

_I shrugged. "Might as well be. It really isn't fair that I'm good friends with all the other hosts and not you; plus... I owe you one." _

_"Oh, you definitely owe me."_

_Just be the tone of his voice, I froze instantly. "Meaning..."_

_"The hospital bill is going to be added to your debt."_

_I paled at the thought. "Dare I ask how much?"_

_That stupid grin crept up on his face as he faced me. My body tensed up even more at the sight of the lights from the hallway reflecting off his spectacles._

_The Shadow King adjusted his glasses, and gave that fake smile. "Just 1.2 million yen."_

_As the number ran through my mind a few more times, I felt like passing out right there on the mattress. "G-great..." I stammered. "Can't wait to work to pay it off."_

_Kyoya only smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."_

I scowled as I shook my head, ridding my mind of the thought. I thought for sure that I would have _everything_ paid off before the end of the second trimester, but no, Ootori just _had _to raise my debt again! That selfish, rich, bastard... Money was definitely the only thing he cared about. Screw Tamaki for saying that Kyoya actually had "feelings"; in fact, Kyoya didn't even have a heart at all.

As I thought more on the subject, I began to wonder... If Kyoya _didn't_ have a heart, why would he even bother to save me? I was still curious about how he rescued me, since he, nor any of the hosts, brought it up. Why wouldn't the other hosts tell me? They confirmed that Kyoya was one of my rescuers, but which one? Was Kyoya blackmailing the hosts saying that if they told me, he would do something terrible to them? Well, he was the Shadow King after all; he loved to see people make fools of themselves. The incident was all in the past anyway, and Kyoya only rescued me for his own benefit. If I wasn't alive, he'd have to collect the rest of my debt from somewhere.

Releasing a sigh, I erased the thought from my mind so that I wouldn't be tempted to punch a hole in the wall due to my fuming anger whenever I thought about the Ootori boy. All I had to think about was finishing this term, and being able to head home to America. Once home, I would finally be able to relax for a week before heading back to Japan to complete the final term, as well as pay off my debt entirely.

As soon as I reached my classroom, I opened the door to find that there were a few students sitting around their desks, chatting and giggling. Once my eyes landed on Tao, I smiled. She stood by her desk chatting with two other girls in our class. From what I observed, it looked as if Tao was talking the most. It was great to finally see Tao come out of her shell and open up to others. One wouldn't even be able to tell that she used to be a timid, closed-up girl. I guess that talking with Satoshi, and finally admitting her feelings, helped her loosen up and improve her social skills.

I walked into the classroom, and then began to head over towards my desk; however, I heard Tao call out to me. "Hey, Katherine-san! Over here!"

Turning around, I smiled and walked over to the group of girls. "Hey, Tao. Ohayou gozaimasu."

"Ohayou gaozaimasu to you too," she answered with a smile. Then, she gestured over to the girls she was speaking to. "Katherine, this is Natalie Himuzawa and Taylor Zierau. Himuzawa-san, Zierau-san, this is my good friend, Katherine Johnson."

"Pleased to meet you two," I spoke, bowing at the waist.

They smiled and bowed back.

As I stood up straight, I took a good look at these girls. Natalie Himuzawa was around my height, and owned a petite body. Her long, wavy black hair had tints of brown highlights and a few peach-colored streaks. Her deep brown eyes were framed at the top with dark blue eye shadow, and her cherry-red lips curved into a sweet smile. Taylor Zierau was a few inches taller than I was, with a body between thin and big-boned. Her long, golden blonde hair that fell to her waist, and her blue-green eyes were hidden behind a pair of thin black glasses.

"So, what did you guys think of that art project sensei assigned us?" Tao inquired.

"A little challenging, but I managed to finish it over the weekend," I answered.

"I finished mine last week," Natalie spoke. "I spent every afternoon working on it until midnight."

"You sure are hard-working," I commented, smiling. Then, I glanced up at the blonde-haired girl, who seemed rather frozen in place. "What about you, Taylor?"

"Oh... um..." she began lamely. Taylor smiled nervously and rubbed the back of her head with her hand. "The thing is... I didn't finish the whole thing..."

"That is so you, Taylor," Natalie remarked. "At least you'll get partial credit."

We all began to laugh at the remark, but then sensei walked into the classroom, ordering everyone to settle down and take their seats. Both Taylor and Natalie sat near Tao, but they were still just two rows from my desk. As I opened my textbook, I glanced over at Tao and smiled again. After the school year was over, I wouldn't be there for Tao, but at least she made some new friends to help her along the way.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as lunch period came around, I found myself sitting at one of the many long tables with the milk-white table cloths of the banquet-hall-sized cafeteria. Tao sat beside me, while Natalie and Taylor sat across from us. The three girls would chat back and forth, changing the subject every once in a while, and then starting a conversation with that. I would remark sometimes, but at other times I would listen to their conversation.

"So," Natalie spoke after a few moments of silence, "are you guys ready for exams on Thursday?"

"I'm kind of nervous," answered Tao.

"Me too," Taylor added. "The one thing I fear is forgetting the answer the moment I get to the question."

"I know," remarked Natalie. "Don't you hate it when that happens?"

I smiled as the three female students gave a collective giggle. It was nice to see Tao open up to others and join in a conversation. Speaking of which, the girls hardly touched the food on their plate as they chatted on and on.

"What about you, K.C.?" Tao asked.

"Well, I've been studying," I replied. "But, I guess I'm just as nervous as you guys are. I mean, I've got a lot of pressure on me, mainly because I'm a scholarship student and have to make the top of the class."

"Oh, that's right," spoke Taylor. "I completely forgot that you were the scholarship student from America."

"Yep, that's me," I answered with a smile.

"It's a relief to finally know that I'm not the only full-American in the class."

"You too? Wow, that_ is _a relief. Now, I don't have to worry about sticking out like a sore thumb."

We all began to laugh along, and then I went back to my lunch. It was nice of Tao to introduce me to her new friends, and maybe I'll make more friends before the year comes to a close after all. All I had to do was survive the exams on Thursday, and then the next week, I would leave for home. After Christmas break, I would be back in Japan for the final term, finishing up my studies, as well as fully paying off my debt to the club.

"Hey," Natalie spoke up, "isn't that Host Club holding some kind of ball on Friday?"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," Tao answered. "Are you guys going?"

"Meh... I don't know," Natalie answered. "I'm not really into that 'Hosting' kind of thing."

"I might come," Taylor spoke. "Of course, my family is busy on Saturday, though."

That's right! The Host Club was holding a formal this Friday! The thought had totally slipped my mind. Well, obviously Kyoya would want me to assist with setting up the ballroom and prepare the food that would be served.

Thoughts about the first term's dance popped into my mind. I spent my hard earned money on a dress, and bothered to doll myself up just impress Kyoya and the other rich kids that would be attending the formal. Of course, Kimiko, out of pure jealousy, teamed up with her lackeys to ruin my entire evening. Now that another formal opportunity was coming up, I was afraid to show my face around her. I had to let that go though and not worry about it so much.

"Katherine?" a voice spoke, interrupting my thoughts.

Jerking my head up, I found myself gazing into three pairs of eyes that stared right back at me. "Sorry, guys. I wasn't paying attention."

"Tired?" Natalie inquired.

"No, I was just thinking about stuff," I answered. "So, what was the question?"

"We were just wondering if you were attending the Host Club's ball," Taylor answered.

"No. I mean, I don't have a dress, or a date."

"Well," spoke Tao, "there will be other opportunities."

I nodded in agreement, and then we all continued our lunch while starting another conversation and traveling off-topic every once in a while. As soon as the bell chimed through the school building, we stood from out table and dumped the scraps of our lunch in the nearest trash bin before traveling out of the cafeteria and down the hall together. A week and a half and I would have to say good-bye to the school until January.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Hey, there's our little chef!" the twins chorused as I stepped into the clubroom.

"Hey, guys," I answered. "Sorry, if I'm a bit early."

"No problem, K.C.," Hikaru spoke, resting his arm on my shoulder.

"We like it when you come to the club early," Kaoru added, mimicking his brother.

"We get to spend some more time together that way," they ended together.

"Yeah, but I actually came early to talk to you guys about Friday," I answered.

"Is there business matters you have to attend to on Friday?" Kyoya inquired, not glancing up from his notebook. "If so, then we can call off the ball-"

"Oh, no, senpai. I'm not busy or anything," I answered. "I was just wondering if you guys would like for me to prepare everything for the dance. You know, get the food, help set up. That kind of stuff."

"That would be helpful, Katherine," he answered, closing his notebook with on hand.

I blushed at the way he said my name. "Hey, anything to help pay off my debt. Now, if you will all excuse me," I began walking across the room towards the cafeteria. "There are some cakes begging to be decorated for the clients."

I passed by Tamaki who was annoying Haruhi by showing her dress after dress that hung on a rack. Hunny and Mori sat together on the couch, Hunny munching on a slice of cake like always, and his old cousin watching him making sure he didn't receive another cavity again. The Lolita smiled and waved as I passed by, but couldn't speak because his mouth was full of cake. I smiled and waved back, and then I entered the kitchen tied my apron around my waist, and got to work.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as hosting hours were through, I released a sigh of exhaustion. Six more days of this and then I would finally be on my Christmas break. As I scrubbed the dirty dishes, I began to think over the year I've had here at Ouran Academy.

When I first walked through the doors of the school, I was nervous. I was in a rich kid's territory; and even though I was somewhat rich myself, I still felt like the black sheep of the herd. Once I found the Host Club, they helped me loosen up every afternoon; of course, after I broke Kyoya's glasses, my whole afternoon revolved around the Host Club. It was hectic and stressful at times, but in the end, I became good friends with the hosts.

At the beginning of the year, I was always the polite one, carefully choosing the words I would say since I was a "commoner" in the other student's eyes. When I got used to the wackiness of the Host Club and their crazy antics, I became more myself. For example, whenever the twins would annoy me, I would yell at them and scream threats; but at the beginning of the year, I wouldn't do anything like that for fear of being expelled.

I sighed as I packed the last dish away in the cupboard. I sure was going to miss this place.

Untying my apron, I hung it up on the hook by the door and then grabbed my satchel before exiting into the clubroom. I gazed around at the typical sigh I would see every time hosting hours were through. Hunny was eating some leftover cake, while his cousin watched him; the twins and Tamaki were fighting over what dress would look better on Haruhi, who had abandoned them and sat at a table studying; and Kyoya sat at a table away from the commotion of the bickering trio, typing away on his laptop.

Typical, but I would still miss it.

"Okay," I called out to everyone in the room, "I'm not sure if anyone can hear me over the screaming, but I'm leaving now."

"See you tomorrow, K.C.-chan!" Hunny called out as I passed his table.

I waved good-bye to the boy Lolita; but as I turned back around, I felt two pairs of arms lock onto mine and drag me over towards Tamaki and his rack of clothes.

"Well, if Haruhi has to wear that getup," the twins scoffed, gesturing to the pink, frilly dress the club president held in his hands, "K.C. gets to wear _this_ to the ball on Friday."

With that, the brothers held up a halter-top, scarlet red gown with no back, and it barely stretched passed my thighs. I blushed as a mental image of myself in the dress appeared in my mind, and then I shook the thought off.

"HOW MANY TIME DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU DOPPLE-GANGARS?" the blonde host exclaimed. "_NEITHER _OF MY DAUGHTERS ARE GOING TO WEAR SUCH REVEALING GOWNS TO A FORMAL BALL!"

"Yeah... you have to admit that the dress is kind of revealing," I spoke. "Didn't you guys suggest something similar to this during the first term formal?"

"Maybe," the twins answered with those mischievous smiles.

"Well, as their father, my daughters are only permitted to wear the dressed I allow them to wear," Tamaki spoke.

"Haven't you ever heard the story of the baby bird, boss?" Hikaru inquired.

"The birdie has to leave the nest some time or another," Kaoru added.

"STOP THAT!" Tamaki shouted at the top of his lungs. "YOU KNOW A FATHER HATES IT WHEN HE HAS TO LET HIS LITTLE GIRLS GROW UP!"

"You're not their father."

"MAYBE NOT IN REALITY, BUT I _AM_ CONSIDERED THIER FATHER FIGURE!"

"Says who?"

"SAYS ME!"

I sighed as I watched their pointless back and forth argument. "Hey, if you guys are going to continue this, can I just go home?"

"But... but, Katherine," Tamaki spoke, on the verge of tears. "Don't you want to see what Daddy picked for _you_?"

With that, the club president drew out a long, silk blue dress that flared outward from the hips until it reached the floor, and puffy, cuffed sleeves. There were sparkles embedded in the silk on the skirt and glimmered as the light from the chandelier bounced off of them. I must admit that the dress was beautiful, but I didn't feel like suffering another repeat of what occurred back during the first term.

"Look, senpai," I spoke, drawing my arms out from the twins' grasp. "I appreciate all of this, but I'm not going to the ball."

After that, I turned and brushed in between Hikaru and Kaoru and made my way towards the door. I couldn't attend mainly because I didn't have a date or the money to pay for my own dress. Honestly, I loved most of the gowns hanging on the rack, but I would rather pick out my own dress that suited my taste.

"What do you mean 'you're not going'?" I heard the twins ask.

"I'm. Not. Going," I spoke slowly, as I turned around to face the three. "I mean, I'd love to go, but I don't have enough money to pay for my own dress. I love the ones you have Tamaki-senpai, but I'd like to pick my own out. On the other hand, I don't really have anyone to go with, so it's rather pointless to attend a ball and sit in a chair by your lonesome while you watch everyone dance the night away." I paused, and released a deep sigh. Then, I lifted my head back up to face the group, and smiled. "There will be other dances though. It's not like the end of the world if I don't attend. Now, if you all will excuse me, I need to study for my final term exams."

With that, I bowed halfway and then whirled around towards the door. The only sound that echoed through the clubroom was the tapping of my shoes on the tiled floor as I walked towards the door. The twins and Tamaki had ceased their bickering, and even Kyoya had stopped typing. Well, whenever the Shadow King was at his computer, he blocked everything from reality outside his mind so that he could stay focused on whatever he was working on.

As soon as I exited the clubroom, I released a deep breath, and then turned and began walking down the hall towards the front door of the Academy.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"All right class, settle down," Takanawa-sensei spoke as he entered the classroom. "I have the results of the exam, so, if you all will please, do not form a stampede to find out the results."

With that, the instructor taped a thin sheet of paper on the blackboard, and then sat at his desk, allowing the students a few minutes of time to walk up to the blackboard and search for their name. Some students cheered about moving a rank up in the class, while other sighed that they had been moved down. I however sat at my desk flipping through random pages in my text book, waiting for the crowd of students to dissipate.

It was Friday already. The week had come and gone already, and before I would even know it, I would be on the plane back to America. Tonight was the Host Club's dance, and I knew that I would be pretty busy all afternoon and possibly until the evening. Well, at least they decided to hold it on a weekend, so once I got back to my apartment, I would climb into bed and wait for sleep to take over.

"Hey, Katherine," a voice spoke from above me.

I glanced up to find a petite girl with brown eyes, which matched the brown highlights in her black hair that had been streaked with pink. "Oh, hey, Himuzawa-san."

"Aren't you going to come up and see what rank you got?" she inquired.

"I will in a minute," I answered. "I'm kind of waiting for there to be less of a crow, you know."

Natalie nodded her head in agreement. "Considering the fact that you're a scholarship student, there's no doubt that you made the top of the list."

"What are you, psychic?"

She smirked. "No, but I did hear a few students chatting about it."

I smiled back. "Then I guess I'll have to see if what I hear is true."

With that, I stood up from the desk and made my way over to the black board. There were a few taller students in front of me, and even when I stood tip-toe, I could only read the heading of the paper. I didn't want to be rude to squeezing right through the crowd, but, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Tao gesturing me to come towards her. Nodding, I walked over to the brunette as she helped me squeeze in between her and Taylor. My eyes soon landed on the paper on the board, and, sure enough, there was my name written at the top of the list. I sighed with relief glad that I wasn't going to be expelled.

"Fourth time in a row, that's a new record," Tao commented as we headed back towards our desks.

"Yeah, but I'm used to it," I answered.

"Trust me," a voice spoke from behind me. "It's not always easy remaining at the top, especially when you study hours upon hours only to make second place."

Tao, Natalie, Taylor, and I turned to find that it was one of the girls in the class. She was around my height with jet black hair pulled up into a bob. Her copper brown eyes were like a deep pool of intelligence, and I noticed faint traces of dark circles around her eyes. Lack of sleep? Maybe.

"Ajume-san," Taylor spoke. "Congratulations on making second."

The girl scoffed. "Thanks."

Then, she whirled around on her heal and walked back over to her desk.

"Who was that?" I asked no one in particular.

"Asuka Ajume," Tao answered. "She was the smartest girl in my class during Middle School."

"She's motivated and confident when it comes to keeping her grades up," Taylor answered.

"Of course, when someone happens to beat her," Natalie added, "everything turns into a heated competition between her and her new-found 'rival', who she'll stop at nothing to beat."

I glanced from each of them, and then over at the girl who sat in her desk. So, this girl considered me a rival. It was funny since I just found out about her, and I had been at the top of the list through the last term and this term. Had I been her rival since the first exam results? It was a possibility.

As I continued to stare at her, I noticed that she had blocked out everyone from around her and drew imaginary shapes on her desk with her finger. While her neighbors chatted amongst their desk-mates, she remained quiet, blocking the world around her. Did she not have any friends?

Before I could ask Tao, Natalie, or Taylor, sensei called time and shooed the students to their desks and began the lecture for the class. Every once in a while, I would glance up from my text book and over at the Ajume girl, who was busy scribbling down notes on the lecture, most likely information on the next exam or so. Tao had known her since Middle School, so maybe she could tell me a little more about this competitive girl. I'd figure her out eventually.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Hey, senpai?" I called out to Kyoya from across the giant, empty ballroom. "Is the banner high enough?"

The Shadow King glanced up from his notes. "A few inches lower should do it -no, too much. Bring it back up a bit more. Perfect."

Haruhi and I secured the solid green silk banner from one corner of the second level to the other. Afterwards, we stepped down from the ladder and descended down the two-way staircase. As soon as I reached the bottom, I gazed around at the decorated ballroom. Green and Purple banners hung along the wall, and the giant chandeliers that hung from the ceiling had been dusted and prepared for the evening. The food that would be served was set out on a long table with a milk white table cloth.

"Well, the food's set out," I breathed as Haruhi stood beside me.

"Yeah," she answered. "That's one of the important things of this dance."

I smirked. "I heard that we were having fancy tuna."

Haruhi stared at me wide eyed, frozen in place for a moment, and then she turned around and headed over towards the long table, searching through the assortment of food for her precious tuna. I laughed as I watched a smiled spread across her face once she found it.

"Well, at least Haruhi's going to have some fun," I commented. Then I gazed around at the others hard at work on decorating the remainder of the ballroom. "Hey, I've still got time if you guys need some help."

"That won't be necessary, Katherine-san," the all too familiar voice of the Shadow King spoke as he stood beside me.

I glanced up at him confused. "Are you sure? I mean, I can stay and help out a little bit more."

"You've worked enough," Kyoya spoke, not taking his eyes off the page he was writing in. "So, you may head home if you like."

Okay, something fishy was going on. Since when did Kyoya act so nice?

"Senpai," I began, "you didn't fall on your head when you were climbing down that ladder earlier, did you?"

The Shadow King chuckled. "No, I'm just fine, Katherine. Now," he finally glanced down at me with that smile, "you're free to go home."

With my eyebrow still arched in confusion, I stared up at him. After a while, I shrugged. "Oookaaay, if you say so, senpai."

Then, I walked across the ballroom while Kyoya's 'nice act' played through my mind again. Turning back around, I spoke: "Are you sure-"

"I'm positive," Kyoya answered, scribbling in his notes.

Yeah. Something was definitely going on. But, of course, I would never pass up an opportunity to head home early and catch a few Z's. After shouldering my book-bag, I bid my farewells to the Host Club before exiting the ballroom and the school

As I walked down the sidewalk, I couldn't help but continue thinking about what Kyoya said. Why in the world was he being so nice? Why would he? The only time when he acted "nice" was when he had a plan up his sleeve. I shuddered at the mere thought. What was he going to do to me now? I sighed. Well, I'd figure it out in due time. For now, all I had to focus on was climbing into bed and drifting off to a much needed sleep.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Flopping down on my mattress, I gazed up at the ceiling. It was sad when you were feeling tired; but when you got into bed, you couldn't fall asleep! I guess the thought of the dance was keeping me awake. I desperately wanted to attend, but I couldn't, knowing that I didn't have a dress, or a date to take me. Not only that, but I was afraid that Kimiko would ruin everything again, whether it was before, after, or even during the formal.

I sighed, but then my cell phone began to vibrate in the pocket of my satchel. Rolling over on my side, I fished around in the pocket for the little green device and checked the caller ID before flipping the lid up and pressing the 'Talk' button.

"Hey, Joe," I spoke.

"_Hey, how's my little Katie-Bug doing?_" he answered.

I groaned at the nickname. "Joe, did you have to say that?"

He chuckled on the other line. "_Yes, because even though you're fifteen now, you'll always be my little Katie-Bug._"

"Joe, please, that was ten years ago, and-" I stopped as I thought over what my brother said. "Wait, I'm _fourteen_."

"_Not anymore._"

"Huh?"

"_Don't tell me you forgot __**again."**_

Arching an eyebrow, I sat up and began to think over what Joe could have possibly been talking about. Suddenly, realization dawned on me. "What's today?"

"_December 17th."_

I smirked. "I guess I did forget my own birthday."

"_You're not always forgetful, K.C. Is something wrong?"_

"I'm just stressed out because of the Host Club, that's all."

"_I see._"

There was a pause in the conversation, and that was when I noticed the time on the clock:** 6:55pm**. I raised an eyebrow in confusion. That couldn't be right. If that was the time, then it wasn't even dawn back home.

"Hey, Joe?" I asked. "Why are you calling so early?"

"_Early?_" he repeated. "_It's evening where I am."_

Okay, now I was really confused. "Huh?"

_"Just open the door."_

_Open the door?_ I repeated in my mind. _What the heck is he talking about?_ Before I could think of a logical explanation, there was a knocking sound coming from the front door. Curious, I stood up from my bed and exited my room. As I walked through the hallway and the living room, I turned the handle of the front door and slowly opened it. I nearly dropped the phone out of surprise as I stared at the two people who stood at my door.

"Joe! Kenzie!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around them. "Thank God I don't have to speak Japanese to you guys!"

"Actually you can if you want to," Mackenzie spoke. "We took a few classes over the weekend."

I laughed as I led them into the apartment from the freezing climate outside. My brother and best friend gazed around the room as I closed the door.

"So, what're you guys doing here?" I asked, walking over to them.

"We came to celebrate your birthday of course," my brother spoke.

"You guys didn't have to come all the way here to celebrate it," I spoke. "You could've just waited until I came home."

"Yeah, but where's the fun in having a birthday that's not on your actual birthday?" Mackenzie inquired. "Besides, I want you to tell me all about Ouran."

I groaned. "It's fine, but it gets stressful in the afternoon."

"The Host Club?" my brother asked.

I nodded. Then I sighed and leaned against the back of the sofa, mumbling: "I would've paid off my debt if Baka Ootori hadn't raised it again."

"What did you break this time?" inquired my best friend.

"I didn't break anything, Kenzie," I answered. "It's a long story."

My brother glanced down at his imaginary-watch on his wrist. "We've got time."

I rolled my eyes at his goofiness, and then took in a deep breath. "Well, two weeks ago, we had a snow day, so the hosts took Haruhi and me to Koriyama. There were snowball fights, and hot chocolate; but, later we went ice skating on a lake."

"Ooh! Fun!" Kenzie squealed.

"Anyway," I continued, "I was kind of daydreaming and didn't realize that I had glided across to the other side of the lake; and then I... kinda fell through the ice..."

Mackenzie gasped, while my brother's eyes widened and he looked like he were about to pass out.

"So, anyway," I added. "I woke up in one of Kyoya's family's hospitals, and he added the hospital bill to my debt."

My brother leaned against the back of the couch and gripped the edge hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. "That's not fair at all."

"Joe, calm down," I spoke. "It was my own carelessness for not paying attention. If anyone is to blame it's me."

My brother looked over at me, and then he hung his head, relaxing his muscles. I smiled as I rubbed his arm with my hand.

"I've been working for the club for a while now, so I'm used to it," I spoke. "Anyway, we shouldn't worry about little stuff like that."

"What's important is celebrating K.C.'s birthday," Mackenzie added. "And," she added reaching into her handbag and drawing out a folded piece of green fabric what had a plastic covering over it to keep it from being stained, "Every birthday-girl needs her party dress."

My eyes widened as Mackenzie allowed the dress to unfold as she held it by the hangar. It was one of the most beautiful dresses I had ever seen, mainly because it was my favorite color. In fact, I must confess that it was even more stunning than the ones Tamaki had to choose from.

"Kenzie," I spoke, "you didn't have to."

She smiled, but then that smile formed into that mischievous smirk. I backed away a few steps, knowing that that was the kind of smirk she got when she dragged me around the mall to try on dozens of clothes, or cake make-up on my face.

"Don't worry, K.C.," she spoke, draping her free arm around my shoulder. and leading me through the living room and down the hallway. "We won't be long."

Glancing over my shoulder at my brother, I mouthed the words "Help me" before Kenzie turned the corner and grabbed my wrist, dragging me down the hallway. Okay, I was glad to see that my brother and Mackenzie traveled all the way from America to visit me, but I should've known better that Kenzie had something up her sleeve.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"K.C.! Hold. Still." Kenzie spoke, trying her hardest to keep me from squirming out of her grasp.

Okay, so basically what happened was Kenzie unpacked all her make-up and hair-styling stuff from her Marry Poppin's bag and set it on the bathroom counter. Well, while the curling iron was heating up, Mackenzie decided to cake on some make-up. Yeah, I was praying that it would only be foundation, and I knew that I was far from right. When it came to the style-expert, you have to have _everything_ caked on you. Blush, eye shadow, and eyeliner I could handle; but when Mackenzie brought out that thin, black spear, I made a mad dash across the hallway to hide under my bed. Sadly... I didn't have enough time, or room, to hide underneath it.

So, there I was. Pinned flat on my back on the floor of my room with the style-expert on top of me, she straddled her legs on my waist to keep me from rolling over, with that spear brush in her hand, ready to make a human-eye shish kabob.

"JOE!" I exclaimed. "YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S TRYING TO GAUGE MY EYES OUT!"

"I am not!" Kenzie retorted. "Now, hold still!"

Of course, I wouldn't listen. Every time Mackenzie lowered the spear-brush to my face, I closed my eyes tight and tossed my head to the side. This continued for a few minutes, but to me it felt like hours.

"Its. Mas. Cara. Its. Your. Friend." Kenzie growled through her teeth, enunciating every syllable each time she lowered the brush.

"Well, friends can hurt each other," I spoke.

"K.C.!"

When I realized that Mackenzie wasn't struggling to gauge my eyes out, I relaxed my eyelids and turned my head to gaze up at her.

"Look, we really need to get you ready," Kenzie spoke calmly. "So, pretend that..." she paused trying to think of something, and then that smirk played on her lips. "Pretend that you're going out on a date with that Kyoya boy."

My face flushed a deep red. She just _had_ to mention _that_. Sighing, I surrendered, and then the two of us walked out of my room and into the bathroom. I stood in front of Mackenzie while she tilted my head up with her hand so that she could add the "mascara".

"Thanks for putting up with me, Kenzie," I spoke.

"No problem," she answered. "It was easy to -Open wider- It's easy to figure out which buttons to press. Plus, -Open- this is only a onetime thing -Stop twitching!"

"Twitching is involuntary," I spoke innocently.

Mackenzie sighed, and then she finished up the last bit of "mascara" and screwed it back into its little tube.

"Where are we going anyway?" I asked, as Kenzie turned me around so that my back was to her.

"It's a surprise," she answered, pulling out my scrungie.

I sighed, wishing that I knew that in the world she and my brother had planned. Mackenzie first used the straight iron to straighten out my hair in order for her to curl it. Once she was finished with that, she turned me around to look in the mirror. My eyes widened as I gazed at my reflection, and I felt the back of my head with my hand. No pony-tail whatsoever. My hair curled outwards along the frame of my face, and formed into waves everywhere else.

"Wow..." was I could say. "Kenzie... You did amazing."

"You look amazing, kiddo," she answered, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Now," she added, walking out of the bathroom. "I'm just going to let you slip into your party dress."

With that, she shut the door, and I peeled my clothes off. Then, I removed the plastic coating from the gown and slipped it off the hanger. One foot at a time, I pulled the strapless, green dress over my small bust and then zipped it up in the back. It was a perfect fit; not to large, and not too tight. I glanced at myself in the mirror and twirled around. I still couldn't believe that the girl in the reflection was me.

Sighing dreamily, I picked up my laundry and tossed it into the hamper on my way out of the room. Mackenzie met me halfway, and then she led me into the living room where I met my brother. Once Joe took one glance at me, he smiled, and then he took my hand and gave me a twirl.

Then, he stared at both of my hands curiously. "Where's your bracelet?"

I frowned as I thought back on that day. "Long story."

"Well, we can't waste any more time chit-chatting," Mackenzie spoke. "We need to get a move on."

Joe nodded in agreement, and then I slipped on my black jacket and walked out of the apartment with him and Kenzie. As we rounded the corner and descended the staircase, I froze dead in my tracks at the sight of a sleek, black limousine parked in a space near the stairwell. A chauffeur stood by the car, and once he spotted us, he smiled.

"Miss Johnson, I assume?" he spoke, thankfully in English.

I nodded.

The chauffer tipped his hat as he opened the back door of the limo. I climbed in and slid along the leather seat to make room for Joe and Mackenzie. As soon as we were set, the driver shut the door and walked around to the front of the car. After a few moments, the vehicle came alive, and rolled out of the parking lot and eventually onto the highway.

My heart began to flutter as my stomach churned with eagerness, as well as nervousness. I glanced down at my hands, which were wrung together, hoping that my face didn't make it evident. Then, I saw my brother's hand gently slide over mine, and I glanced up at his smiling face.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

"Nervous, but a little excited," I answered.

"Mostly nervous?" Mackenzie inquired.

I nodded.

My brother took his hand off mine and wrapped it around my shoulders. "You're going to be fine, K.C."

I smiled as I rested my head on his shoulder imagining where the limo would be taking me. I still couldn't believe that Joe and Mackenzie could afford both a dress and rend a limousine! It was just unbelievable. They didn't have to do it, yet they did it anyway.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I nearly fell asleep halfway there; but as soon as the vehicle came to a halt, the chauffer stepped out of the car and pulled the door open. My brother and Mackenzie allowed me to climb out first. My heart began to race as I hugged myself from the cold air blasting into the car and against my face. Once I took a few steps out of the vehicle, I raised an eyebrow in puzzlement as I gazed around at my surroundings.

What was I doing at Ouran Academy?

"Wow..." Kenzie spoke standing beside me. "This place is huge!"

"And this is just the High School building," Joe answered for her. "The Middle School and Elementary are in the back."

Ignoring them, I continued to gaze at the school, still bewildered why I would be coming _here_. I was expecting dinner or a movie, or both; but not a trip to my high school.

Suddenly, two hands grasped my wrists, and I glanced up to find my brother and Kenzie, with those smiles still on their faces. I raised an eyebrow as I stared up at them, but they only led me into the building and up the staircase. We traveled down the hallway for what felt like an eternity until Mackenzie and Joe finally stopped at one of Ouran's many giant doors. I cocked my head to the side, still wondering what was going on.

Neither Kenzie nor my brother gave an answer. Instead, Joe opened the door and gave me a small push inside. I whirled around with a questioning look on my face.

"Don't come out until the signal," my brother whispered.

Then, he shut the door, leaving me in the benighted darkness. Okay, now I was seriously confused. I thought that I was just going to spend time with my brother and my best friend, who spent their own money on flight tickets all the way her to Japan just to visit me. No, I was nearly slaughtered by "mascara", dolled up, and dragged to Ouran. What the heck was going on?

"Ladies and Gentlemen," a familiar voice echoed from behind me. "We are happy that you all could attend this event this evening."

Slowly turning around, I noticed a round-archway door with a thick curtain drawn to the center. Of course, light shone through the small crack that parted the curtains, leading to where the figure, whom I presumed the voice belonged to, stood. Slowly walking over to the curtain, I peered through the light to find that I was high up on a balcony that overlooked an audience of a thousand! On the balcony, a few meters in front of the curtain stood Tamaki, speaking to his guests.

"This event was put together to honor a very dear friend of ours," another voice spoke. It was Kyoya's.

"She is super nice, and super amazing!" Hunny's easily identifiable voice cheered.

_Okay, it's a "she" so it's obviously a girl_, I pondered. Suddenly, realization struck me, and I mentally slapped myself wondering why in the world I was so stupid not to notice in the first place. Kyoya sending me home early... Joe and Kenzie showing up at my apartment... Arriving at Ouran...

_This ball... This is... for me?_

_

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**DUN-DUN-DUUUUNN!**

**Yeah, I'd write more, but I have to get ready for school in two hours ^.^' Hey, I've stayed awake through school even when I stayed up late! I'll be fine! Besides, it's the last day before Christmas break, so all we're going to have is a few tests and a PAAARTAAY!**

**Okay, to help you guys get a better visual on how K.C. looks in her dress, She basically looks like Taylor Swift in her dress from her music vid "You Belong with Me", except, K.C. has light-brown hair and the dress is green. But, it's that same style.**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this looong chapter! See you next week!**

**Rate and review, GuyZ!**

**Replies to reviews from last chapter (Chapter 30):**

**Takara Rose Oizumi: More every week unless I say otherwise :)**

**Witty-Little-RedHead: I know right, he loves to switch personalities like that. But, that's what makes him awesome!**

**Me and Gaara 4Ever: hehe I know! Don't worry, that time will come.**

**silverrain1312: That would be super cool if you could fav chapters. Coolio! Glad you liked it!**

**Haruta Yari: Yes, chemistry is goo. Of course, when it comes to Kyoya, he likes to mix some of his own chemicals.**

**Allyra Mortlock: She's still got the Third Term (January-March) She's got plenty of time ;)**

**Aurora-16: OMG that really sucks! Hehehe! I like teasing you all! Don't worry, their together time will come. ooooh Gingerbread Hosts. Tamaki dies first! Haha JK!**

**SaraELupin: heheh, sorry couldn't resist ;). Uhhhhh... yeeeaaaah, let's go with that.**


	32. New Friends, Good Times Part 2

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Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend! Because I know how desperate you guys were to find out what happens next in this amazingly awesome fic!

**Sorry, I left you guys hanging at yet another cliffhanger, but I just couldn't resist :D UUUGH This week was BUSY! I barely had enough time to write up anything for this chapter, so yeah, once again on a late Friday night, I'm going to pull another all-nighter... What is this my fourth or fifth one already? Ugh... Well, at least i know what to write about, I just can't make it look like I was too lazy to write. I can't have choppy sentences no matter how tired i am right now.**

**Oh, and some of you may be wondering, but the ballroom in Chapter 31 and this one is the same ballroom from Episode 2 of the anime.**

**IMPORTANT HEADS UP! MUST READ!: Okay, so this chapter has another song in it, and I know that most people skim over the lyrics and skip to the dialogue and everything; but the song really fit in with the scene (at least I think so), so I'd really like for you guys to not only read but understand why I put that song in there. **

**All righty enough of my babbling... Well, I wasn't babbling THAT much. I just don't know what else to write ^-^'' So, yeah...**

**Hope you guys like the next part of my epic fic "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In"!**

**OCs CHOSEN FOR THIS CHAPTER:**

**Taylor Zierau (**_**Snow'n'Cupcakes)**_

**Natalie Himuzawa (**_**ToniHeart)**_

**Kazuki Takeda (**_**The Violet Queen**_**)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or its characters, nor do I own the other OC's in this chapter. **_**They**_** rightfully belong to their owners (listed above).**

**Claimer: I own K.C., and all of my other OCs in this fic. YAYZ!**

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**~ Chapter 32 ~**

**New Friends, Good Times**

**Part 2**

I stood there frozen in place as I stared out into the ballroom of thousands with my eyes widened. Releasing the drape, I took a few steps back until my back was against the door I came through. _This can't be real,_ I thought to myself. No matter how many times I pinched myself, I couldn't force myself to believe that I was trapped in a dream that I couldn't wake up from. This was real life. The entire ball, from the start, had been planned... just for me.

Just the thought of how much the cost for everything would cut into their budget and how much effort the hosts put into setting everything up (okay, well, I helped too, but that was back when I was oblivious) it just forced tears to well up in my eyes. Of course, Mackenzie warned me about mascara streaks, so I blinked rapidly to contain them in my eyes so that I would look like a total mess.

As I continued to think over what great friends I was lucky enough to have, realization struck me. _Don't get your hopes up, K.C._ I told myself. _You're not even sure if this whole hoo-hah is even for you._ But, if that was true, then why did Mackenzie and Joe even bother to show up at my apartment to dress me up and take me to Ouran Academy? On top of all that, they shoved me in a closet... Was it a coincidence that the closet led to the balcony of the ballroom where the hosts were holding their dance?

Before I could come up with a logical explanation, Tamaki's voice rang out through the ballroom, silencing the cheering audience: "Now, we know how much you all have patiently waited, so, without further adieu, please welcome our guest of honor, Miss Katherine Johnson."

The curtains slowly drew apart, fully revealing the section of the balcony, and the crowd cheered wildly followed by a thunderous applause. I shielded my eyes as the spotlight cast its glare in front of the doorway, with some light seeping into the room; however, I quickly ducked beside a cabinet, hoping that no one would be able to see me. _What are you doing, K.C.?_ I pondered. _This party is for you. You should feel honored! Why in the world are you so afraid?_

"K.C.?" a pair of voiced asked from above me.

Startled, I jerked my head up to find two identical figures looming over me. It was difficult to identify them from the front, but once I noticed the light casting off of their ginger-colored hair, I sighed.

"Uh... Hey... H-Hikaru," I hesitated. "H-hey... Kaoru."

"Why're you sitting on the floor?" they asked.

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I glanced down to find that I had indeed sat down on the cold, tiled ground. "I didn't know that I was," I answered, quickly standing up and brushing the dust off my dress. "I guess I was to scared to even realize what I was doing..."

"Why would you be scared?" the twins inquired.

"I guess..." my voice trailed off as I thought over it."I guess... I kind of have... stage fright..."

"K.C., that's nothing to worry about," Hikaru spoke gently. "Besides, you preformed in front of a bunch of Lobelia girls last month."

"This time, you're at Ouran," Kaoru added. "There are people you know who are out there."

Then they smiled and ended together: "You're not performing anything, this time."

I gazed up at them, and even with their faces darkened by the shadows, the light reflected off their perfectly white teeth, making them smile. I returned their smile as I gazed from them and then out at the door. Hikaru and Kaoru had a point. I was just revealing myself to the crowd, not singing, playing piano, or anything.

When I turned back to face the boys, I saw that their smiles had transformed into their typical grins as they each held out a hand. "Would you like to join us?"

I just had to giggle at the remark, remembering that that was the exact same thing they asked back when the Hosts visited me in America for the day. Indeed, they were my friends, my family, and I wouldn't trade them all for anything else in the world.

Placing my hands in theirs, the two brothers led me out of the small room and towards the balcony. As soon as I took my first step into the spotlight, the crowd instantly began to cheer, followed by a roaring applause. The twins released me, and I glanced out at the crowd nervously. My body began to tense up, and even in the spacious room, it was difficult for me to breathe. Ignoring the crowd, I faced each of the hosts along the balcony, and they returned my gaze with a calm smile.

Tamaki turned to face me and bowed, then, he stood up and held out his hand. I was hesitant for a minute; but once I gazed back up at him with that charmer's smile on his face, I smiled back and placed my hand in his. The Host Club president led me to the front of the balcony, where I had a better view of the crowd of thousands of students.

"The floor is yours, my princess," Tamaki spoke, taking a few steps back.

I stared at him confused, and then hesitated as I faced each of the hosts before turning back to the audience. Silence fell over the entire ballroom as my body froze once again. I was supposed to give some kind of speech? Why did everything this evening occur on short notice...? Well, if I improved my last performance in front of a crowd, then I was sure that I could wing it again this time.

"Umm... hey, everyone," I began, making sure I projected my voice enough. "Thanks for coming. And," I turned to the 'king', "thank _you_, Tamaki-senpai, for that... wonderful introduction." I stared back out at the crowd trying to think of something else to say without making a huge fool of myself. After taking a deep breath, I released it and faced the crowd. "With all honesty, this entire formal is a huge surprise. Of course," I added with a smile as I gazed at each of the hosts, "that's the Host Club for you. Every day, there's a surprise beyond the door of the music room; some good, and some not so great." Then, I faced the audience. "As a transfer student, it was difficult getting used to everything here at Ouran; but, ever since I built up relationships with the hosts... well, they just helped me fit in." I sighed as I thought over my first few months of requesting hosts, and then the crazy antics I went through while working for the club. "Well," I continued, glancing out at the audience, "you guys probably don't want to stand around anymore. So, as we say in America... _Let's get this party started!_"

As soon as I finished, the crowd burst into another cheer mixed with applause. I released a deep breath, glad that the entire "speech" was over with. When I glanced over to my side, I found Haruhi with that smile on her face as she held out her hand. I smiled back and set my hand in hers as she led me down one of the staircases on the side of the balcony.

"Nice impromptu back there," the female host spoke as we reached ground level.

"Thanks," I answered with a slight blush. "It was hard, considering the fact that I had absolutely no idea that _this_ would happen."

"Well, like you said: 'That's the Host Club for you'."

We both only laughed at how the remark fit, but then a voice broke the silence: "K.C.!"

The two of us glanced over curiously to find three girls making their way through the crowd towards us. One girl had long, jet black hair with pink streaks that had been braided into a French braid, and her petite body was framed with an off-shoulder, fuchsia-colored gown. The second girl was a few inches taller than the other. Her golden locks fell to her waist, and she wore a bright red cuffed-sleeve dress that frilled at the bottom. The last girl caught my attention quickly, and a smile spread across my face once we locked our eyes onto each other. Her long, brunette hair had been pinned up in a braided bun. She wore a spaghetti-strapped, teal gown with a white ribbon tied around her waist.

"Tao!" I cried, as I caught her in an embrace.

After a few moments, we broke apart and scanned each other over. It was strange seeing Tao in a ball gown compared to her school uniform, which I saw her in every day.

"You look amazing!" she breathed.

I blushed. "Well, when surrender to your best friend, who is trying to attack you with mascara, the results can be surprising."

We both laughed at the comment, while Haruhi excused herself to be with the other hosts, and then we were joined by the other two girls.

"Hey, Katherine!" the girl chorused.

"Oh, hey... um," I trailed off, as their names slipped my mind.

"It's us, Natalie and Taylor," the girl in the fuscia gown spoke. "We're in your class."

"Oh, yeah, now I remember." Then, I smiled nervously. "Sorry... I'm not too great with names..."

"Ah, don't worry about it," Taylor spoke, waving a hand dismissively. "So, you guys want to head over and grab some punch?"

The rest of us nodded in agreement, and then we squeezed through the crowd of students and managed to find our way over to the buffet table. None of us were starving for any snacks, so we simply decided to pour ourselves a glass of fruit punch, while we chatted and watched some of the students on the dance floor swaying to the symphony of violins, cellos, pianos, and other classical instruments.

Sometimes, while we were chatting, I would glance out at the dance floor. All the hosts were taking turns, dancing with some girls, most likely their clients; while other girls were twirling with other boys. It was hard for me to believe that the hosts planned this whole party just for me. I only knew a few people here, and most of the girls obviously were clients at the Host Club. Well, that didn't bother me much. What I couldn't understand was _why_ the hosts even decided to host an entire event just for my sake.

"Katherine?"

Snapping out of my reverie, I glanced over to find that Taylor and Natalie had disappeared while my mind was daydreaming again. Tao, who obviously was the one who addressed me, stood where she was and gazed at me concerned.

"Sorry, Tao," I answered, with a nervous smile. "I guess my mind wandered off."

She only grinned. "Your mind has done that a lot lately."

"Yeah, I don't understand why." Then I smiled as I glanced back at her. "I mean, I can pay attention in class, just not anywhere else."

The two of us laughed at the remark, but then, a voice spoke as soon as we ended. "Excuse me. Johnson-san?"

Curious, I turned around to find a tall lean young gentleman with shaggy golden hair that had been tied back into a low ponytail (kind of like the style boys and men had back during the Revolutionary War). His eyes were a solid ash-gray color, which perfectly complimented his dark gray tuxedo.

"Oh, hello..." I spoke shyly, as I felt the blood begin to run to my face. _Dang it! Why do all the guys in this school have to be so irresistible?_

The young man only grinned. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kazuki Takeda. Second-year student here at Ouran."

With that he bowed deeply as if I were the Queen of England. Of course, _that_ only made my face feel hotter, and I was sure that all the make-up Mackenzie caked on me would melt right off. I just couldn't believe that I was talking to an upperclassman; someone other than the hosts.

"Um... pleased to meet you... senpai," I answered, trying to make a good impression. "I'm Katherine Johnson."

With that I curtseyed, and Kazuki gave a chuckle. "I know. Suoh-senpai introduced you as the guest of honor."

"...oh, right..." I answered, glancing away in embarrassment.

Kazuki only smiled, and then he held out his hand. "Would you like to dance?"

I glanced down at his hand, then back up at him, and then over at Tao, unsure of what to do. The brunette only smiled saying that it was fine if I left her alone. Releasing a deep breath, I accepted the boys hand, and then he led me through the crowd of people and out to the ballroom.

While Kazuki was locating an empty spot to dance, I glanced around at all the other students, especially who the hosts were dancing with. Most of them were dancing with girls I didn't know; but once my eyes landed on Kyoya, I nearly gasped in shock. What was Kimiko doing here? Well, from what I observed, she did attend the Host Club every once in a while; plus, it was a no-brainer why she would be dancing with Kyoya.

"Here's a good spot," Kazuki's voice broke through my daydream.

Bringing, myself back into reality, I glanced up at the boy as he took my hand in his, and then placed his free hand on my waist. I hesitantly placed my free hand on his elbow, but then Kazuki reached his hand over and dragged my hand up to his shoulder. Now, that was embarrassing. I must've looked like some ballroom dancing newbie to a professional like him. Heck, he was obviously one of the rich kids, so he had probably been dancing since he was in diapers.

"Do you know how to waltz?" Kazuki's melodic voice spoke breaking through my thoughts.

"Uh... kind of..." I white-lied.

"Just follow my lead," the boy spoke with a smile.

I nodded, and then I allowed Kazuki to pull me along with him as he stepped in sync with the music. Throughout most of the song, I would glance around at the other students swaying with their dance partners. Their eyes never left each others, so I figured that I should do the same. Once I turned my head to glance up at my partner, he pulled me into another turn; and from the sudden move, I faltered and accidentally stepped on his foot. Kazuki winced slightly, but I quickly set my foot back down on the ground and glanced up at him.

"Gomen nasai, Takeda-senpai," I spoke.

Of course, Kazuki only grinned. "Haven't practiced in a while?"

"Not really..." I answered, glancing away slightly. "Plus, I'm a little nervous."

"Oh?"

I nodded, and then smiled sheepishly. "It's my first time at one of these events."

"I see."

Then, Kazuki suddenly let go of my waist and held my hand high above me, giving me a twirl. Afterwards, we set our hands back in their former positions and then continued to sway to the rhythm of the music; and for the remainder of the song, I would glance down at our feet just to make sure I didn't step on his again.

As soon as the song was finished, I thanked Kazuki for inviting me, and then I began to head back over to the buffet table where I left Tao. Of course, when I wasn't even half-way there, I was dragged back onto the dance floor by Hunny, who had his own way of dancing: twirling around in a circle as if we were playing ring-around-the-rosy. Well, at least I was dragged off by someone I knew.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I sighed with exhaustion as I finally made my way back over to the buffet table. After dancing with only half of the Host Club, I was worn out, mainly because of Hunny and the twins. As soon as I reached the long table covered in a milk-white table cloth, I refilled my empty glass and gazed back out at the dance floor.

"So, were you surprised?" a female voice asked from beside me.

Glancing over to the direction of the voice, I found my brother and my best friend standing by the table.

"Yeah," I breathed, still exhausted from dancing. "I lost track of how many guys asked me to dance. Most of them were the Host Club though."

"I must say that that Host Club is full of hotties," Mackenzie commented. "It's no wonder why they reeled you in."

I blushed at the teasing remark.

"I guess I'll have to buy multiple rounds for my shotgun just to keep all six of them away," Joe added.

Okay, now that remark was kind of funny, so I couldn't help but giggle. This night had been one huge surprise, and it was difficult for me to realize how oblivious I was that the hosts had obviously had something in mind when they planned to have their event on my own birthday. Well, they sure hid the secret safe.

Before I could say anything else, Tamaki's voice echoed through the ballroom. "Everyone, may I have your attention please." The low murmur of the student suddenly came to a still silence as all eyes turned up towards the Host King on the balcony. "There has been a request for a private dance with our guest of honor."

"Well, that makes one more down, who knows how many more to go," I spoke, setting my cup down on the table.

"You sure are popular tonight," Joe remarked.

"Well, by Monday, I'll just be another student," I answered.

"_And_ by the afternoon, you're still the club's personal chef," an all-too-familiar deep voice added from behind me.

Turning around, my intuition was right. There stood the Shadow King in a sleek black tuzedo with a dark green bowtie. I must admit that he was rather handsome dressed up in such formal attire.

"Hey, senpai," I spoke with a smile.

"Hello, Katherine," he answered, with that stupid grin of course. "You look lovely."

"Arigatou," I answered. Then, I glanced over at Joe and Mackenzie. "You remember my brother, Joseph, right?"

"Good to see you again, Kyoya," my brother spoke. "I assume Katherine has been working hard?"

"She has," Kyoya answered, still with that stupid smile on his face.

"And this," I added, gesturing over to my best friend, "is my good friend, Mackenzie. Mackenzie, this is Kyoya Ootori."

"Pleasure to meet you," she spoke. "K.C. has told me a lot about you."

Kyoya smirked and gave me a sideways glance. "Oh, she has?"

I folded my arms across my chest. "Not just you, the entire Host Club, too. But, anyway," I added, setting my arms down, "what brings you over here, senpai?"

"For your answer," he replied, adjusting his glasses.

I blinked in confusion. "Say what now?"

"The request for the private dance."

I stared at him surprised, and then my gaze trailed over to the ballroom, where a crowd of people had spread out to leave some room in the center for the private dance. What I couldn't understand was why Kyoya even requested to dance with me. We became friends just recently, but... I guessed that friends could dance with each other.

Before I could answer, I felt a pair of hands on my back shove me forward. Startled by the sudden move, I stumbled forwards and landed in Kyoya arms. Now, I was blushing even worse than I had when I was with Kazuki. Straightening myself up, I whirled around to find my best friend with that smirk on her face.

"Kenzie!" I hissed.

She only jerked her head to the side, indicating that she wanted me to head out to the dance floor. Following her gaze, I stared worriedly out at the crowd. Thousands of people would be watching, most likely enviously, especially since Kimiko was here. I never did tell Kyoya or the hosts about her little, harmful prank from the last ball, mainly because I let it go and forgot about it. If she saw me dancing with Kyoya, who knows what she'd do.

"Katherine," Kyoya's voice interrupted my train of thought.

"I... I don't know, senpai," I answered turning back to face him.

Then, he adjusted his glasses. "If you accept, I'll cut your debt by one fourth."

Well, that grabbed my attention. "Half."

"A third."

"Deal."

Sure, it wasn't what wanted, but it was good enough. Either way, my debt was still cut. Then, Kyoya took my hand and led me through the crowd of people to the wide, open area that had been set just for us. As soon as Kyoya and I reached the center of the wide gap and positioned ourselves, the light from the chandeliers disappeared, and the only light that filled the room was a large spotlight that beamed down on the Shadow King and me.

Glancing up at Kyoya, I waited for him to make the first move, since the man always leads; however, I noticed him glance over in a direction and give a slight nod before turning back to face me. Now, I was confused; but before I could ask, the symphony of classical instruments was replaced by the sound of an acoustic guitar echoing through the speakers that was placed high in the corners of the room. From then, Kyoya began swaying to the music as I followed.

I quickly recognized the song just after the first few notes. "Senpai, this is an American song."

"I am well aware of that," he answered coolly.

"But... but why would they play an American song instead of-?"

Of course, Kyoya cut in, "Just listen to the lyrics."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but before I could speak another word, a male voice began to sing:

_Can't blame you for thinking  
That you never really knew me at all  
I tried to deny You  
But nothing ever made me feel so wrong_

_I thought I was protecting you  
From everything that I go through  
But I know that we got lost along the way_

_Here I am  
With all my heart  
I hope you understand  
I know I let you down  
But I'm never  
Gonna make  
That mistake again_

_You brought me closer to who I really am  
Come take my hand  
I want the world to see  
What you mean to me_

I would glance down at our feet every once in a while, just to make sure the same thing that happened to Kazuki wouldn't happen to Kyoya. I still couldn't quite understand the song choice. It was like some kind of apology song.

As soon as the first chorus was through, I glanced up at Kyoya. "Hey, senpai?"

"Yes?" he answered.

"Was this song... planned or something?" I asked.

The Shadow King didn't answer; he just gave one of his trademark grins. Except only this time, and I could tell, this smile wasn't his typical business smile or the one he used whenever he was hosting. This was a different smile. So, could this be the real Kyoya opening up to me.

Once again, before I could ask, I was interrupted by the beginning up the second verse:

_Just know that I'm sorry  
I never wanted to make you feel so small  
__Our story is just beginning  
Well let the truth  
Break down these walls (oh yeah...)_

_And every time I think of you  
I think of how you pushed me through  
And showed me how much better I could be_

_Here I am  
With all my heart  
I hope you understand  
I know I let you down  
But I'm never  
Gonna make  
That mistake again_

_You brought me closer to who I really am  
Come take my hand  
I want the world to see  
What you mean to me (yeah)_

Okay, so it was definitely some kind of apology song, but Kyoya didn't have to apologize. The only thing he had ever done to hurt me was ruin my bracelet. Of course, that was months ago, and I had already put that behind me. Still, my gaze never left the Shadow King's throughout that verse, plus the interlude and final chorus:

_You make me feel like I'm myself  
Instead of being someone else  
I wanna live that everyday_

_You say what no one else will say  
You know exactly how to get to me  
You know just what I need_

_Just what I need (yeah...)_

_Here I am  
With all my heart  
I hope you understand (I hope you understand)  
I know I let you down  
But I'm never  
Gonna make  
That mistake again (That mistake again)_

_You brought me closer  
To who I really am  
So, come take my hand  
__I want the world to see  
What you mean to me_

_What you mean to me_

As soon as the song faded out, the crowd began to cheer wildly; however, it sounded like ocean waves to me. I was too lost in thought as I gazed up at Kyoya. The lyrics of that song... was that an apology or some kind of confession? It was hard to tell.

After a few moments The Shadow King released me, and I thanked him for the request before heading back over to my brother and Mackenzie, who had remained in their place.

"So, how was it?" my best friend asked once I strode up to them.

"Good," I answered.

"You looked like you were having fun," Joe added.

"Well, Kyoya did say that he'd cut my debt by seventy-five percent if I accepted, and I'd do anything to get out of my debt."

"You can say that again," a female voice added.

Turning around, I found the female host, who was most likely exhausted from dancing with all those girls.

"Hey, Haruhi," I spoke. "Taking a break?"

"Actually, I was trying to get away from Tamaki-senpai before-"

Of course she was cut off by the host king: "Haruhi, my beloved daughter!" Tamaki grabbed her and began spinning her around. "Daddy was so worried that you went missing!"

"I'm fine 'dad'," Haruhi grumbled. "Can you put me down now?"

As soon as Tamaki did as bidden, we were joined by the rest of the hosts.

"So, you fine young gentlemen must be the Host Club," Mackenzie spoke. "K.C. has told me so much about you all. Let me see," she paused to think, and then pointed to each host guessing their names. "Hunny, Mori, Haruhi, Tamaki, Kyoya, and... the Hitachiin brothers. I'm sorry but I can't tell which of you is which."

"Many have tried," Hikaru began.

"Many have failed," Kaoru ended.

"So far only Haruhi and I have be able to tell them apart," I spoke.

"Ah, I see," Mackenzie spoke.

"Anyway," I spoke up, "thanks so much you guys for this. But, you really didn't have to."

"We wanted to," the twins spoke.

"We wanted to show you how much we appreciated your help around the club since you work non-stop," Tamaki added.

I smiled and blushed. "Thanks you guys, this has been the greatest birthday I've ever had."

"So, K.C.," Hikaru spoke, resting his arm on my shoulder.

"Wanna come dance with us?" Kaoru ended, mimicking his brother.

"No way!" Tamaki shouted. "It's my turn for a Father-daughter-dance!"

"Chill out, boss," the twins spoke, nonchalantly.

"Your hands are probably full with all these girls asking you to dance," Kaoru spoke.

"So, we'll just take K.C. out to the dance floor, and let you finish your business," Hikaru added.

"THAT'S STILL NOT FAIR!" Tamaki added.

The twins and Tamaki continued their pointless argument, and then I sighed. My mind soon began to wander back to when Kyoya requested that private dance. He wanted me to listen to the lyrics, which I did, but i couldn't understand why. What was so great about an apology/confession kind of song? So many thoughts were racing through my mind at the moment that I needed to find a quiet place to think straight.

"Hey, listen, you guys, I'm going to head out for a breath of fresh air for a minute."

With that, I turned and began walking towards the main entrance; but after I took a few steps, my brother's voice called out: "K.C.!"

"Yeah?" I called back.

"Don't forget your jacket!" he answered.

"I won't." _Geez, is he trying to publically humiliate me in front of the student body?_

As soon as I reached the door, there was my black jacket hanging on the back of a chair. Slipping my arms through the sleeves, I began to walk out into the cold night. I shivered at the sudden change in temperature, and then I strode around the school building to the one place I could clear my thoughts, my sanctuary. The garden. As soon as I reached the naked sakura trees with the stone bench set in between them, I glanced out at the rest of the garden that was barely lit by the starlight and the light radiating from the moon.

"It's clear out tonight," a deep, male voice spoke from behind me.

Startled, I whirled around to find Kyoya standing there with that grin on his face. I smiled back, and then I gazed up into the deep pool of dark blue with the full moon hanging in the sky, surrounded by twinkling stars.

"It sure is beautiful," I breathed as a mist escaped my mouth.

"Isn't it chilly for you?" Kyoya inquired, striding up beside me.

Sure it was freezing out, especially since I was wearing a strapless dress and no pants, but I still managed a smile. "A little; but, like I said, I'm more of an outdoors person."

The Shadow King nodded. "And it was right here where you said it."

"Actually, it was right _there_." I pointed at the stone bench between the trees.

Kyoya chuckled, and then he adjusted his glasses. "Come," he spoke, walking a few steps deeper into the faintly lit garden. "I would like to speak with you privately."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. _We are in private already, aren't we?_

Of course, I didn't object, and followed the Shadow King as he turned a corner leading into the benighted hedge maze. Kyoya had to grab my hand in order for us not to become separated with each other. I was sure that my rising body temperature was warming myself to the core at the moment. It was like back in the hospital, Kyoya's touch and closeness had some kind of effect on me, but I wasn't sure what.

Eventually, Kyoya stopped right in front of the gazebo, where a string of lights hung around the edge of the room. The Shadow King released me, and then turned to me, while I gazed up at him wondering what he wanted to speak with me about.

"I assume the dance was a surprise?" he asked.

I smiled and nodded. "You guys really kept it a secret, either _that_ or I was totally oblivious to anything that was apparent. Still," I gazed up at him with seriousness in my voice, "you guys really didn't have to do all of this just for me."

"One of the purposes of the club is to make every woman happy, Katherine. And, it was coincidental that our plan for our Christmas ball would fall on the Friday of your birthday."

"Well, you guys could've just had _that_ party."

"You still wouldn't have enjoyed your evening. Besides," he added drawing out a box, "the club will hold other events."

I stared down at the long black, velvet box wrapped in a red ribbon, and then I glanced up at him. "Senpai, you didn't have to get me anything."

"It seems only customary," he answered.

I glanced up at him, and then back down at the long box. After a moment of thinking, I accepted the small gift, and then opened the lid. My eyes widened in shock as I stared down at what the box held. Big things sure came in small packages, and the longer I stared at it, the more tears were tempted to flow from my eyes. Inside the box was a thin, golden chained charm bracelet with four charms on it. Glancing up at Kyoya, I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn't force my voice to utter anything. I was struck speechless.

Without a word, the Shadow King drew out the bracelet from the box and latched it around my wrist. I stood there in silence as I twisted my hand around to examine the bracelet. Almost an exact replica of my old one.

"Senpai..." I managed to say. "You didn't have to buy me a new one."

"I didn't," he answered with a smile. "You said that you didn't want it replaced. So, I had it repaired for you."

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I examined the wristlet more closely; nevertheless, I couldn't spot any traces of dents or cracks in the fine gold. Of course, my bracelet had _three_ charms on it, so where did the fourth one come from?

"You get a new charm whenever you visit a new place, correct?" Kyoya asked, using that mind-reading trick again.

As I examined the fourth charm more closely, I noticed that it was the school's insignia with the 'O' and the 'R' in the center. Even as I gazed at the bracelet and then back up at Kyoya, I still couldn't utter a simple word. Instead, however, my eyes began to grow moist, and then I flung myself into Kyoya's arms and buried my face in his sleeve.

"A-a-ari-ri-ga-t-t-tou..." I stuttered through sobs. Once I was able to regain my composure somewhat I continued. "A-arigatou, senpai. I really don't know what else to say..."

Then, I felt a pair of arms snake around my back, which sent chills down my spine. Kyoya didn't say anything though, and we just stood there in an embrace for what seemed like forever. I never wanted it to end; but sadly, it did, and Kyoya released me. I rubbed my eyes dry with my hand, and then I noticed black streaks on my skin.

I sighed. "One of the many reasons why I never wear make-up..."

The Shadow King gave a slight chuckle, and then he took out a handkerchief and offered it to me. No matter how much I protested that it would get ruined, I ended up removing every last bit of that mascara from my eyes. After that, Kyoya led me out of the hedge maze and out of the garden back towards the school. I wasn't sure how many times I thanked Kyoya over and over before we walked back into the ballroom and finished off the night.

But, all I can say is this: Friends are always there for you, to make you feel welcome.

* * *

**FINALLY I'M DONE! Phew... That actually didn't take as long as I thought it would. Just about four and a half hours.**

**So, you guys are probably wondering about the song. Well, the song is called "What You Mean to Me" from the Disney movie **_**Starstuck**_** (SQUEEE! I LOVE Sterling Knight!) Plus, the song REALLY fit in with the scene and everything.**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it! And if you want to...**

_**SNEAK PEAK FOR 33:**_

_**

* * *

**_

"What's wrong, senpai?" I asked turning to him.

Kyoya had stopped just a step behind me, and stood underneath the archway leading out of the park. He was staring up at something hanging from it, and when I glanced up, my face began to turn a deeper shade of red compared to how frost bitten it already was.

"Oh... looks like we're under some... mistletoe," I spoke hesitantly.

Kyoya glanced down at my with a raised eyebrow. Japan probably didn't have the tradition of mistletoe, either that or Kyoya just never had seen it before. I glanced down the pathway, tempted to say that it was nothing important; of course, with Mr.-Human-Lie-Detector, _that_ would be a challenge.

"Well, um... you see..." I stammered to explain. I paused to piece my words together before beginning again. "Mistletoe is one of those Christmas traditions besides the tree decorating and the Santa-thing and all that. But, you see... when a guy and a girl find themselves standing underneath the mistletoe, they... they kinda... have to... kiss..."

Kyoya tiled his head to the side. "Oh?"

I shrugged. "It's optional. I mean, not everybody does it anymore. Heck, I haven't seen it happen in real life, just on a few Christmas specials."

"Then maybe we should restart that tradition."

My heart began to race as I stared up at Kyoya wide-eyed. Did he actually suggest that he wanted to kiss me?

* * *

**Okay, we there's the sneak peak you guys! You didn't have to read it if you didn't want to have it spoiled for you, because I'm pretty sure the content spoiled a lot ;)**

**Anyways, rate and review you guys! I'd really appreciate it!**

**Replied to reviews from Chapter 32 (15! WHOOOHOOO! WE JUST KEEP GOING UP WITH THESE REVIEWS!)**

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**AllyraMortlock: Thanks! Yays cookie!**

**HarutaYari: That's fine. Aren't you friends with silverrain1312? She was saying that you had an OC named Kaito or something, maybe I could squeeze him in here.**

**ToniHeart: Sorry... I really don't watch **_**Victorious**_** so I wouldn't know about Jade, but i did look her up and tried to fit her character in.**

**I'mthenewCAKEPIG: It's not that I have a grudge against mascara. Me, personally, I don't like nor hate it. I just made K.C. have a grudge against it because it worked well with her character. tehe! :D. Yeah, but the thing about that is that I'm trying NOT to get too caught up in the romance because there are fanfics out there that jump right into the romance, and I want to keep everyone on the edge of their seats. But, I will try and add KyoxKC fluff!**

**Setterly: Thanks!**

**SarahELupin: Kinda both :P**

**The One Nobody Remembers: Coolio! Yeah, I like fluffy stuff! The scholarship? Well, I don't want to explain that here, so you'll just have to keep reading to get that answer ;)**

**BunnyNinja: Thanks!**

**Silverrain1312: Thanks! I was worried about making everyone's characters OOC, but I'm glad that she turned out okay! **

**Mrs. Ootori: Thanks!**


	33. All I Want for Christmas is You

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! And Happy Hanukah and Quanza to those who celebrate that.**

**Okayz! I know it's not technically Christmas yet, but I just wanted to give you guys your gift a day early since I was going to take a break on Friday, but, like I promised, I would update weekly. So, here's a Christmas gift from me to all my awesome fans out there! It's just my way of saying "Thanks" for the umpteenth time in a row!**

**Listen, I know that most of you guys got e-mails yesterday saying that I had updated this story, but that was purely an accident. Sorry. The thing is my body ,and brain for that matter, was used t the fact of pulling all-nighters only on a Thursday-Friday midnight to dawn. So, I did the same thing on Wednesday since i would take a break of Cristmas weekend; of course, it didn't register in my mind, and I fogot what day it was. So, that would explain all of your e-mail situations. Sorry!**

**In other news, I didn't really intend for my story to catch up with the actual present day (In fact I had no idea that December 17 was going to be a Friday, I just picked a random date. ^.^'). AND this chapter is another little shortie, since I didn't know what else to write! Sorry again!**

**Sorry, you guys, but there won't be any of your OC's in this chapter...**

**Anyways, I know that when you guys read the sneak peak from the last chapter, you were all psyched up. So, without further adieu... Here's the super special chapter for "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In" ^.^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything Ouran related.**

**Claimer: I own all of my OCs**

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**~ Chapter 33 ~**

**All I Want for Christmas is You**

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating the small room. Silence filled the atmosphere, with no annoying beeping ringing from my alarm clock. Nevertheless, I groaned as I buried my face in the cold, hard floor. Wait... what? Slowly lifting my head up, I glanced around to find that I was lying on the floor of my room. Well, the top half of my body was on the floor; my legs were above me, hanging from my bed. Swinging my legs around, I sat cross-legged on the floor, stretching my bent spine.

"How the heck the I end up on the floor?" I grumbled, as my back popped a few times.

Then, I glanced around my surroundings to find scraps of paper scattered around me with a few photos. Thankfully my album hadn't fallen on the floor with me and ruined the page I was working on. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, but not before I felt, and then pulled, the glue-stick that had gotten stuck in my hair. Taking a quick glance up at the clock, I nearly passed out when I realized that it was half passed nine.

Joe was going to kill me for staying up late again...

Speaking of my brother, his footsteps echoed down the hallway as they approached my bedroom door. I sat up straight and stared at the door, like prisoner waiting for the executioner to take them to the guillotine. I didn't have enough time to hide all the evidence.

"K.C.?" his voice echoed from the other side. He knocked on the door. "You up yet?"

"Yeah..." I answered, groggily.

Taking the answer as permission to enter, my brother turned the knob and pushed the door open. "Looks like you've been busy," he spoke with a smirk.

"I had a lot to do," I answered, stretching out my spine again.

"Couldn't you work on your book during the day?"

"No. I want to spend time with you and Kenzie during that time."

"Well, you need to take a break, sis. Besides, you don't typically wake up late during Christmas."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion as I stared across the room at my brother. "I thought Christmas was yesterday."

Joe only chuckled. "No, it's today."

Right. Japan was a couple of hours ahead of us, so they've already had their Christmas. I arrived home on Tuesday, so my body was most likely still adjusting to the time zone. Before leaving for home, I gave all the hosts and my good friends their Christmas gifts early, so they had opened them already... or, tomorrow anyway. (Why do I always feel like I'm time traveling?).

Gathering the scraps of paper off the floor, I stood up and placed them in an empty page in the book before closing it and leaving it on my bed.

"So, what're we going to do today besides open presents?" I asked, turning to my brother.

"Oh, you know, hang out and chat," my brother answered.

"Kenzie's coming over, right?"

"In about a couple of hours, yes. So, you should probably get yourself ready."

I smiled and nodded in agreement. As soon as my brother exited my room and closed the door, I quickly raced over to my dresser and pulled out what I would wear for the rest of the afternoon. Once that was said and done, I grabbed my pajamas and headed down the hallway towards the bathroom to touch up my hair and brush my teeth. Then, I tossed my clothes in the laundry room and made my way into the living room.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Our Christmas wasn't like any traditional Christmas. There weren't hundreds of presents underneath the tree, and the trees weren't huge or real. Instead, the tree was artificial and about my size with a golden ribbon wrapped around it, and Mackenzie, Joe, and I bought each other one gift. It wasn't like a Charlie Brown kind of Christmas, but as long as I got to spend time with my brother and best friend, I was fine.

After unwrapping our gifts, we all sat in the living room chatting about what was going on in everyone's lives, mainly because I was away from home most of the time and wasn't in anyone's life much. That was what the holidays were for, spending time with close friends.

"So, K.C.," Mackenzie spoke breaking a moment of silence. "Are you and Kyoya going out?"

I nearly choked on my hot chocolate once she said that, but thankfully I swallowed it before a spit-take. "No."

"He seems like a really nice boy," she commented. "He's really cute, too."

I grinned. "Sorry, Kenzie, but Kyoya's a little too young for you."

"Besides," my brother added, wrapping his arm around her shoulder, "you're already taken."

The two smiled as they gazed into each other's eyes, and I couldn't help but smile at the two of them and how great a couple they would make. I began to picture myself with Kyoya, but I knew that that would never happen until one of us confessed to the other.

At that thought, I gazed off into space. When was I going to tell him? Back at the beginning of the second trimester, I was close to asking Kyoya about his feelings towards me; of course, I just had to go on and worry about what he would think if I asked him that question. Well, it wasn't a good time to ask that question anyway; but, still, I couldn't just wait around any longer to confess.

Heck, it took Tao since Middle School to admit her feelings to Satoshi; and since Kyoya was a third-year, I didn't have much time left to tell him. I already wasted enough time waiting; I just had to admit my feelings sooner or later. Of course, when it came to Kyoya, I had to fine a perfect time. A time when he wasn't irritated with Tamaki, Hikaru, or Kaoru (or, heck, even all three of them). If I didn't say anything to him, Kyoya may be taken away by another girl.

"K.C.?" my best friend's voice broke through my thoughts.

Snapping out of my reverie, I glanced back over at my brother. Tao was right. I had been daydreaming a lot lately. "Yeah, Kenzie?"

"Just curious, but do you even like this Kyoya boy?" she inquired with a slight smirk.

"If you mean 'like', as in I'm crushing on him, then, yes."

"I knew it."

"But," I trailed off as my mind wandered to all the times I could've confessed my feelings. "I'm not sure if he's into me. I mean, I'm a sophomore, and he's a senior. There are probably others, most likely in his class."

"Ah, I see."

Silence fell among us all once again, and I stared down into the brown liquid as it gently sloshed around in my mug.

"Kyoya's your first love, right?" Mackenzie asked breaking the silence.

"First _crush_, Kenzie," I corrected. "We're not dating."

"I know. But, I'm saying that if and when you two start, you have to keep in mind that not every first love ends up at 'the one'. I mean, I had a few boyfriends when I was in high school, so I pretty much know everything about the whole relationship process."

I smirked. "So you're a black-belt in relationships, then?"

Both Mackenzie and Joe only laughed at the comment, and I couldn't help but join in. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door, and the three of us turned out attention towards it. I raised an eyebrow puzzled. Who in the world would be knocking at our door?

After a moment or so of pondering I went back to sipping my hot cocoa. _Probably just UPS..._

Joe set his mug down on the coffee table and stood up to answer the door. As soon as he left the room, Mackenzie glanced over at me probably wondering if we were expecting anyone to arrive. I only shrugged in response, not really knowing who was at the door. Once my brother opened the door, I could hear him and the voice of another man speaking to each other. I raised an eyebrow wondering who Joe could've been talking to.

Before I could ask, my brother closed the door, not wanting the chilling air to filter into the house, and then he turned to me with a grin. "It's for you, Katherine."

Okay, now I was really confused. Nevertheless, I set my mug on the end table by the sofa and stood up to greet whoever it was. My brother stepped to the side as a young man a few years older than I was appeared. His appearance gave away everything, and I nearly gasped in shock.

"Nice to see you again, Katherine," he spoke, in fluent English.

"Kyoya-senpai?" I asked, still bewildered. "What are you doing here in America?"

"I came for a visit," he answered. "I hope you don't mind."

I glanced over towards my brother unsure. Of course, he only shrugged; and when I gave Mackenzie the same unsure look, she only flashed that smirk between me an Kyoya. I released a deep breath, and then I turned my attention back towards the Ootori boy.

"As long as you didn't bring the entire club with you," I answered with a smile.

The Shadow King only chuckled as he adjusted his glasses. "No, they're all at home."

"Then... why aren't you?" I inquired. "Why wouldn't you spend Christmas with your family?"

"I already have," he answered.

"Huh?" Then it hit me, and I felt like slapping my forehead with my hand for being an idiot again. "Oh, right... time zone."

The Shadow King only smiled.

"So, Kyoya," Joe spoke. "Would you care for anything to drink?"

"No thank you," he answered. "Actually, the real reason why I came here was to borrow Katherine for the rest of the evening."

The three of us stared at him surprised. Okay, if anyone knew Kyoya as well as I did, he had something up his sleeve; and now that he wanted to "borrow" me for the evening, I was rather fearful of what he would do. I glanced from Joe to Mackenzie unsure.

"You heard the boy, K.C.," my brother spoke with a smile.

"Wh-what?" I asked, rather surprised that he wasn't acting all overprotective.

"Yeah, go on out and have some fun, kiddo," Mackenzie added.

I glanced from each of them unsure of what to do. Before could say anything else, Mackenzie stepped behind me and shoved me towards the door, grabbing my coat along the way.

"What are you two doing?" I asked, as he handed my jacket.

"Making sure you have some fun with your friend," she answered.

"But, I'll see him next week..." I protested.

"Still, you should at least be able to enjoy yourself."

"But..." I trailed off as I glanced from each of them, and then I sighed. "All right."

"Have fun, kiddo!" Mackenzie spoke as I slipped on my jacket, and hat.

Kyoya allowed me to step out of the house first and down the steps before he joined me. It was a surprise that the Ootori boy left Japan just to come visit me for the holidays. Well, he and the rest of the Host Club did that over the summer, but it was a group thing. He was probably able to get away with it around his father. But now, he was alone. So, would he get in trouble with his father? I sure hope not.

As we made our way down the sidewalk, my brother called out to us: "Make sure to have her home no later than eight!"

"I will," Kyoya answered.

"And K.C.!" my brother called out.

"Yeah?"

"It's going to get colder so you might want to put on some gloves."

"Okay! Later, bro!"

"And, don't forget to put on chap stick when your lips dry out!"

"I got it!"

"And K.C., don't forget to-"

Of course, Kyoya and I were far down the sidewalk; nevertheless, I gave my brother a wave as soon as I knew he was done talking and released a sigh. Did his over-protectiveness have to kick in just then? Why not announce everything about me in the newspaper while he was at it?

"If he keeps embarrassing me like that, he is going to be so sorry," I grumbled.

"Older siblings are like that," Kyoya answered. "Especially the OCD ones."

"Your brother's an OCD?" I asked bewildered.

"No," he answered. "My sister."

I smirked. "I didn't know you had a sister. Well, at leat your older sister doesn't attack you with makeup."

Kyoya glanced down at me puzzled.

"Um, well, what I mean to say is that older sisters, or older-sister-figures, will try to attack you with makeup," I answered.

That smirk crawled on his face. "Mackenzie attacks you with makeup?"

I froze. "I didn't say it was Kenzie. I said older-sister-figures. Girls who act like your older sister."

After that, the two of us walked in silence down the sidewalk, passing by houses with lights strung around the edges of the roofs and windows, while some had inflatable figures lit up on their front lawn. There were white lights, and colorful lights; typical Santa and reindeer decorations, or religious decorations. Either way, the people were into the Christmas spirit, and the lights was simply an expression of their spirit.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" I breathed.

"Indeed," Kyoya answered.

"Hey, senpai?" I spoke. "Just curious, but why would you want to spend time with me? I mean, we see each other during club hours every day."

"Yes, but only for a few minutes," he answered.

"So, Tamaki didn't force you to come over here and spend my Christmas with me?"

"No."

"The twins?"

"No."

"So, you just decided yourself?"

"Yes."

Okay, strange. Not very Kyoya-like if you ask me. Well, maybe now would be a good time to ask Kyoya that question. The one that had been bugging me for months. It took me a few moments to piece every word together in my mind.

"Kyoya-senpai?" I asked.

"Yes?" he answered.

"Listen, I was wondering..."

I trailed off as the words I had already prepared broke and scattered everywhere. I glanced around trying to figure out something, but then I noticed my jacket beginning to become covered with white specks. Curious, I glanced up at the cloudy, evening sky as more flecks fluttered down from the sky.

"It's snowing!" I cheered.

"So?" Kyoya asked. "You saw some back in Koriyama."

"Yeah, but it rarely snows _here_," I answered. "And when _we_ get snow, it's only about a few inches, not a foot and a half."

"Anyway, you were going to ask me something."

"Huh? Oh, right." I trailed of trying to put my words together, hoping that they would come out right. "I guess the sight of the snow made me forget."

Kyoya glanced down at me skeptically, but then he glanced back down the sidewalk and continued on. I sighed to myself wishing that I had the guts to confess. Why was it so hard? We were alone, just the two of us, together, with no interruption. Tao made it look so easy to!

Right when I was about to say something, realization dawned on me. "Hey, we're getting close to the park. You want to take a stroll through there, senpai?"

"If you wish," he answered, with a small smile.

I smiled back and we walked together until we reached the wrought-iron archway entrance before stepping through it and walking down the cobblestone path that was barley lit by the lanterns that stood in the grass nearby. I gazed around at the quiet scenery. No lights, no houses, just nature. Oh, how I wished I brought my sketchbook and just drew every scene I took in. Kyoya stayed silent most of the time, only commenting on a few things every so often. I must admit that it was kind of romantic strolling through the park with him, but I had to muster up the guts to confess to him. I had to do it sometime or later; of course, not too later!

Once we were finished with our stroll and came to the last wrought iron archway, I sighed. This time, I was going to tell him. When I turned to him though, I found that he stood in place underneath the archway leading out of the park.

"What's wrong, senpai?" I asked.

The Shadow King didn't answer, he only pointed up at something he was staring at, it was hard to determine what it was in the faint glow of the streetlight; but as soon as I identified the object, my face began to turn a deeper shade of red compared to how frost bitten it already was.

"Oh... looks like we're under some... mistletoe," I spoke hesitantly.

Kyoya glanced down at my with a raised eyebrow. Japan probably didn't have the tradition of mistletoe, either that or the Ootori boy just never had seen it before. I glanced down the pathway, tempted to say that it was nothing important; of course, with Mr.-Human-Lie-Detector, _that _would be a challenge.

"Well, um... you see..." I stammered to explain. I paused to piece my words together before beginning again. "Mistletoe is one of those Christmas traditions besides the tree decorating and the Santa-thing and all that. But, you see... when a guy and a girl find themselves standing underneath the mistletoe, they... they kinda... have to... kiss..."

Kyoya tiled his head to the side. "Oh?"

I shrugged. "It's optional. I mean, not everybody does it anymore. Heck, I haven't seen it happen in real life, just on a few Christmas specials."

"Then maybe we should restart that tradition."

My heart began to race as I stared up at Kyoya wide-eyed. Did he actually suggest that he wanted to kiss me? I could feel my face start to heat up again as I glanced down the lit pathway through the park. This could be it. The moment where I actually confess to him; but... would he accept my feelings? Well, if Tao had the guts to admit to Satoshi, then it was worth a shot.

I faced the Shadow King once more. "You sure, senpai?"

He smirked, and then he took my chin in his hand, sending goose-bumps crawling over my skin, and then he leaned close beside my face and whispered: "Positive."

After that, he locked his eyes onto mine, and we stood there, rooted on the snow-covered cobblestone for what seemed like forever. I was still skeptical that Kyoya was going to tease me again like how he did back when I was in the hospital. However, the man makes the first move; and since he offered, I should accept it. And, boy, would I gladly accept it.

We both closed our eyes, while Kyoya moved his head towards mine. I stood on my tip-toes, just so that he wouldn't have to lean downward too much to hurt his neck. Every second that passed elevated my heart rate to the point where I thought it would explode. When was he going to do it? Why did he have to put me through this suspense? I was tempted to grab him and force him to kiss me, but I knew that wouldn't be right. That would make him think that I was one of those obsessive fan girls like at the Host Club.

Right when I thought the temptation would gain the better of me, I heard Kyoya release a small sigh, and then felt his warm, gloved hand release my chin. Opening my eyes, I stared up at the Shadow King confused. Did he tease me again? GAH! I was going to kill him for that. But, that was when I noticed that he didn't have that smirk on his face. Instead, it was replaced by his typical, calm expression as he gazed down at me.

"Senpai?" I asked, setting my heels back down on the ground.

"I do apologize, Katherine," he answered. Then, he glanced down the pathway. "I should've gone through with my offer, but... I can't."

I still couldn't quite understand what would cause him to not kiss me... yet again. It wasn't my breath was it? I made sure to brush my teeth before I left home. So... what could've caused Kyoya to not want to kiss me? (Geez, I should listen to myself think more often. I really sound like a desperate fan girl...) Though, I was a little disappointed that he didn't, but I was sure that he had a good reason.

Right when I was about to repeat my question, the Shadow King adjusted his glasses. "I'm engaged."

Those two words pierced through my heart like an arrow. No... it felt more like a fatal gunshot. No, it was more like... Geez, I wasn't entirely sure how to explain. All I could feel was my heart beginning to throb with pain as I stared up at the Shadow King in disbelief. This was all a dream. This entire evening had ot be a dream. Kyoya couldn't be engaged.

As I contemplated more on the thought, I realized that Kyoya was the son of man who owned a wealthy company; and, from what I observed, Kyoya would do anything to please his father, who had most likely set up, and/or agreed to, the engagement. That was the main thing prospering families did: arrange marriages to one, make the family line look good, and/or two, combine companies/industries to gain more wealth. The kids never had the choice. It was all their parents' doing.

"Oh," I answered, trying my hardest to conceal the disappointment from my voice. Then, I plastered on a smile and gazed back up at the Ootori boy. "Well, congratulations, Kyoya-senpai. You're one step closer to achieving your goal. I... I hope your marriage is a good one."

Kyoya turned his attention down towards me; and after a moment, he faced down the pathway of the park. He paused for a couple of moments before turning around and walking down the sidewalk.

"It's late," he spoke. "I need to get you home."

Without hesitation, I followed him into the cold night. Neither of us spoke to one another, mainly because I was still containing all my emotions inside afraid to spill them out in front of the Shadow King. I took a few deep breaths every once in a while to fight back the urge to begin sobbing. Never in my entire life had my heart shattered as much as it had now.

**~ . . * . . ~**

After Kyoya dropped me off, he traveled down the sidewalk to where, I assumed, his limousine was parked in order for him to be dropped off at the airport to take his private jet home. The last words he said to me before he left were: "See you next week", and then he left. Of course, I said my good-bye as well, forcing a smile to my face. Once the Ootori boy was out of sight, Joe asked how everything went. Of course, I had to answer "fine" and then walk off to take a shower and prepare myself for bed. It was obvious that he didn't buy into my fib, but allowed me some time to myself.

It was around nine-thirty, and I sat on my bed doodling on a scrap piece of paper. I didn't care whether I was drawing little spirals or stick figures under the mistletoe. I couldn't force myself to sleep. Of course, that's when I began humming a little tune and began to quietly sing to myself.

"Maybe I was naive... got lost in your eyes... never really had a chance..." Just thinking about the tune and lyrics forced my voice to choke up making it harder to continue singing. "My m-mistake... I-I didn't know t-to be in love... you had to fight... to h-have the upper hand." With my voice beginning to choke even more, it became even more difficult. "I-I had so many dreams... about y-you... and... m-me. Happ-py endings... now I... know... That I'm not a prin-cess... this ain't a fair-fairy-tale... I-I'm not the one you'll sweep... off her... feet... lead her up th-the stair-w-well. This ain't Holly-wood, this is a... small town. I w-was a dreamer before... you went and let me d-d-down." I paused to take a deep breath, hoping that it would clear my voice enough. "Now it's too late... for you and... your white horse... to... come... around."

As soon as I finished, I set my pencil down on the bed and pulled my knees towards my chest, burring my face in my kneecaps. All the tears, all the pain that I had bottled up for hours just began spilling out. I just still couldn't believe Kyoya had to wait at that moment to tell me that he was engaged. I still couldn't believe that he even was after everything we went through tonight.

"K.C.?" a voice spoke from across the room.

Rubbing my eyes clear, I glanced up to find my brother standing in the doorway with a concerned expression. Obviously, I was sobbing a little too loud, so I mustered up a smile and lowered my legs.

"Hey, J-Joe," I answered, trying not to stutter.

"Are you okay?" he asked, stepping into the room.

I nodded with that smile still on my face. "I'm fine."

Apparently, my brother didn't buy my act. I never really wanted my brother to become involved with my issues, so that was one of the main reasons why I tried to convince him that everything was all right. It worked most of the time; but this time, he didn't fall for it.

"Katherine, don't lie to me," he spoke sternly. "I've noticed that you were upset ever since Kyoya dropped you off. Did he do anything to you?"

"No," I answered meekly.

"Katherine."

"He didn't do anything _to_ me, Joe."

"Breakup?"

"We were never together!" I sighed, trying to cool down. "Sorry..."

My brother strode over towards the bed, and then sat down on the edge beside me. "Well, something must've made you act upset."

I gazed down at the piece of paper covered in scribbles. "I don't want to talk about it..."

I didn't want my brother to become deeply involved with an issue that I need to take care of myself. I understood that he just wanted to make sure that I was feeling all right, which I obviously wasn't.

"You're never going to feel better if you don't want to talk about it," my brother spoke, interjecting my thoughts.

Why did he have to be right most of the time?

"You... you wouldn't understand..." I answered, keeping my gaze glues to the piece of paper.

"Try me."

Dang it! Now, he was never going to let me out of this one!

I sighed. "To make a long story short... We took a stroll through the park on our way home, and then..."

I trailed off as images flashed through my mind. As I thought more about it, my heart began to ache with every throb, and my voice began to choke up again as tears force their way back to my eyes.

"And then...?" my brother pressed on.

"There was some... mistletoe hanging from the archway..." I answered. "Kyoya, well, he didn't really know much about it. So, I explained the concept to him, and he offered to kiss me... but... he didn't..."

"Is that all your upset about?"

"No."

"Then what are you so upset about?"

The two of us sat in silence. I sat there with my head still hung; trying to clear my voice enough to talk; but, apparently, it was more difficult his time since scenes from hours ago replayed over and over in my mind.

"Kyoya is..." I began. I paused to clear my voice again. "He couldn't kiss me because he's... engaged."

With that, fresh tears began spilling out of my eyes, and I buried my face in my hands. Without a word, my brother bound his arms around me and pulled me close to him, trying to soothe me. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his shoulder as tears streamed from my face. The two of us sat there for what seemed like hours until I was finally able to calm myself down.

"I completely understand how he feels," my brother spoke. "Of course, if his main goal is to inherit the family company like you told me, you have to let him honor his family's wishes and marry this girl."

Sniffling, I turned my head so that my forehead was pressed against my brother's neck. "I don't want to..."

"I know you don't, K.C.," he answered. "But, you have to understand that not every first love ends up in a marriage. It's rare for that kind of stuff to happen. There's one in this world for everyone. You just have to let Kyoya go. Understand?"

I nodded my head, a little too choked up to answer.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"Not really..."

Joe moved one hand up to the back of my head, brushing my hair back. I understood that I had to let go of Kyoya and move on, but part of me still wanted him. I continued to ask myself why I wasted time worrying about what he'd say instead of confessing right on the spot. He may have felt different about me, who knew? One thing for sure was that if I _did_ admit my feelings sooner, I wouldn't have been suffering so much.

"I'm sorry this happened to you, K.C.," my brother spoke, breaking the silence.

"Don't be," I answered. "It's not your fault. It's mine. I should've said something sooner."

"Katherine, don't say that."

"But it's true. If I confessed my feelings, Kyoya probably wouldn't be getting married."

"Well, all you can do is learn from your mistakes."

I nodded my head in agreement. If I could just let go of Kyoya and move on with my life, I would most likely feel better like my brother said. I had never heard of a first-love being the one anyway, so there was probably a slight possibility for us to have become a couple. I just had to move on.

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**Oooooh Didn't see that one coming did you guys?**

**Sorry I made you all get your hopes up with the sneak peak for this chapter, but I couldn't resist throwing in the little twist there! ^.^ I know. I know. You all probably hate me right about now... But, I'm pretty much immune to your hatred since you've hated me with so many other chaters (Especially the mean Thanksgiving cliffie!)**

**Anyway, some of you might have guessed the song, which was "White Horse" by Taylor Swift. Not the full song like how I would usually write it, but it just seemed to work this way :)**

**Well, you guys know the drill. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, so rate and review!**

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**SNEAK PEAK FOR CHAPTER 34:**

_I stormed down the hallways of the school with rage and fury in every step. As soon as I reached the Third Music Room, I set my hand on the door handle and turned it. As I pushed the door open, I noticed that everyone was relaxing, for the little time they had before hosting hours began. My eyes scanned the room, but suddenly two identical figures popped up in front of me._

_"Hey, K.C.!" they spoke together. "Glad your back!"_

_Then, the two brothers were shoved aside by the Host Club president, who then cheered with delight. "Ah! My darling daughter has returned! How was your Christmas? Good, I assume?"_

_Of course, I ignored his questions and glared up at him. Tamaki, including the twins, instantly froze like ice as they trembled in front of me._

_"Where's. Ootori.?" I inquired, slowly._

_Still trembling, the three upperclassmen stepped aside and pointed towards the black-haired student, who sat at an empty table with his back turned to me. Without hesitation, I stormed over to the table and crossed my arms as soon as I reached the Shadow King._

_He turned to me, and plastered on that fake smile. "Ah, Katherine, good to see you. Did you enjoy your break?"_

_"Cut the act, senpai," I answered curtly, glaring down at him._

_He put on that solid mask again and turned back to his computer. "Can I help you with anything?"_

_"I need to talk to you," I answered. "In private."_

_"I assume that what you wish to talk about may take up to a couple of minutes," he spoke, asjusting his glasses as he lounged back in his chair, then folded his arms. "As you know, we need to ready the clubroom in a few more moments before-"_

_I didn't want to hear him talk any longer. After everything I had been through the past weekend, and what I found out after lunch, I had to have a little conversation with him, and I didn't care how long it took! Quickly placing my hand on his computer lid, I slammed it closed. Thankfully that shut him up, and he gazed up at my questioningly._

_"Now."_

_

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**Replies to reviews from last chapter:**

**The Violet Queen: Thanks! I will!**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Seriously? LOL! That **_**is**_** some un-intended irony! haha! Thanks!**

**SarahELupin: Glad you liked it!**

**silverrain1312: Yeah... I was trying to pull another all-nighter... Oh, good, at least you get the tune for the song! Thanks!**

**Witty-Little-RedHead: Sorry... :). Thanks! Sebastian... Doesn't J Michael Tatum play him? I know he plays some character named Sebastian. Now THAT is some irony!**

**Aurora-16: Yeah, kinda predictable :) Oh, no, I don't wanna cut her! I've got plenty more chapters to write! She'll be in there! No problemo!**

**i'mthenewCAKEPIG: Haha, yeah :) Thanks!**

**BunnyNinja: Yes, as crazy as those boys are, they're sweet.**

**AllyraMortlock: Haha! Yeah. That would've been funny! Mistletoe: romantic, but dnagerous ^.^**

**BravoMonAmi: Sorry! I just want to have my reviews flourish and everything!**


	34. Too Little, Too Late

**Hey, Witty-Little-RedHead! I've updated! You can come out of Tama-chan's hamster home now!**

**Yeah... sorry about the little downer chapter last week, you guys, but at least you all had a great Christmas, right?**

***Fails to dodge empty Christmas boxes***

**OH, COME ON! YOU'LL KNOCK SOMEONE'S EYES OUT! *mushroom sigh* Again, you guys, I'm sorry about the chapter last week... I know that it was kinda short; Soooooo I decided to make you guys another long one! I know how much you like 'em~! Oh, and since I'm still on break until January 3rd, I'm going to post TWO CHAPTERS this week! That's right! One for Today, and expect another one to pop by this weekend!**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**OCs used for this chapter:**

**Taylor Zeirau (**_**Snow'n'Cupcakes**_**)**

**Natalie Himuzawa (**_**ToniHart**_**)**

**Maya Travers (**_**Aurora-16**_**)**

**Asuka Ajume (**_**silverrain1312**_**)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club, it's characters, or anything Ouran-related. I also do not own the other OCs used in this chapter. **_**They**_** rightfully belong to **_**their**_** owners (listed above).**

**Claimer: I own **_**my**_** OCs**

**

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**

**~ Chapter 34 ~**

**Too Little, Too Late**

I stood there in front of the bathroom mirror gazing deeply at the girl in the yellow dress on the opposite side of the glass. What was wrong with me? What would cause Kyoya to fall for another girl? The plane landed in Japan yesterday, and now I was back to getting into the gist of school. Still, I couldn't get over how Kyoya could suddenly be engaged to some girl? What was so wrong about me?

_My looks, maybe?_ I pondered to myself.

With that thought in mind, I moved my hand behind my head and tore out the scrungie, allowing my hair to fall to my back in wavy curls. I continued to stand there, scrungie in hand, while staring at my reflection. Honestly, I saw no difference whether my hair was pulled back or let down; and even as I teased it a little, I still looked the same. On Christmas night, Kyoya seemed to be attracted to me; but if he was already engaged to someone else, there was no doubt that he had no interest in me. Maybe... maybe it was just because I was a foreigner.

Obviously, Kyoya was more interested in the women he was used to being around. A foreigner like myself only stuck out like a sore thumb. Blue eyes and light brown hair compared to all the other wealthy, beautiful, Japanese girls at the school, not to mention the ones more his age. But... but I couldn't help but look back on the time during the blind date the twins set us up on...

_"Well, I'm enjoying it," he replied._

_I stared at him rather surprised. "Really, senpai?"_

_He nodded. "It's interesting to be more involved in the commoners' ways of finding entertainment."_

_. . ._

_"Is something wrong, Katherine-san?" he inquired._

_I glanced up at him, returning to reality from my daydream, and then I sighed. "It's nothing," I answered. "I was just remembering what you said back during lunch. You know, when you were upset with the twins for setting you –well, me too– up on a date like that."_

_Kyoya adjusted his specs. "True. But, that was in the middle of the day. It was an unfair contest anyway."_

_"Yeah, but . . . but it seemed like you weren't really interested the entire day. I mean, you are a pretty good actor, from what I've observed, so it's hard to believe whether you really had a good time or not."_

_Then, I noticed that smirk cross the club's vice president's face. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, but before I could ask what he was thinking about, Kyoya grabbed my arms pinning me against the wall. _

_"Would you believe me if I did this?" he inquired after a few moments._

_Just when I was about to scream for help, I inhaled sharply as Kyoya's mouth was sealed over mine._

I blushed as the scene played in my mind a few more times, and then I placed my hand gently over my mouth. My first kiss. Well, _I_ wouldn't necessarily consider it a kiss, since I never returned it. During that time, I just stood there rather surprised that Kyoya even dared to step that far. Of course, I was ready last weekend; but then... everything had to go downhill when Kyoya explained that he was going to be married to another girl.

Every time we took a step forward, it always seemed like we were taking a few steps back. It occurred a lot during the first part of the school year, since I was getting used to the school as well as working for the club. But, was the only reason why Kyoya would dare to take a giant leap and kiss me was just to get me to like him, like a fish to bait on a hook. He would obviously use me for something if I had fallen for him, which I did.

There were times where he broke my heart, especially during the second trimester where he broke my bracelet and had to turn into that cold-hearted scrooge. But then there was the Christmas ball the hosts held two weeks ago. The song that echoed through the speakers was an American song, but it seemed like Kyoya had chosen it for a reason. I was still unsure about it even now, but the chorus continued to ring in my head. Did Kyoya truly care for me? If he did, why would he turn me down saying that he was already engaged? It just didn't make any sense!

Sighing, I pulled my hair back into its typical low ponytail before exiting the bathroom and then grabbing my book bag on the way out the door. I may have been the bell of the ball two weeks ago, but this Cinderella has just turned back into her former, servant self.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Hey, K.C.!" my three closest friends cheered as soon as I entered the classroom.

"Hey, Tao, Natalie, Taylor," I answered, mustering up a smile to hide my depressed feelings.

"How was your Christmas?" Taylor inquired.

"It was nice," I white-lied.

"Did you do anything special?" asked Tao.

"No, not really," I answered. "I just stayed home and hung out with my family."

"Well, now that Christmas is over, spring will be on its way," Taylor commented.

"What's the big deal about springtime anyway?" Natalie inquired flatly.

"I'm guessing you're not a huge fan of spring," I commented.

"Are you kidding?" Natalie answered. "It's three months of pure torture! All the oxygen is infested with pollen and other allergies. I'm more of a summertime-person."

"No school?"

"That. Aaaaannd, I don't have to worry about being cooked in the sun because I am purely heat-resistant."

"Wow. I didn't even know that was possible!" remarked Taylor.

I sighed. It _wasn't _possible. A human couldn't resist any sort of heat because one's body has to sweat. Taylor was just being her gullible self, absorbing Natalie's comment like a sponge. Honestly, I didn't have anything against her for it; in fact, it was sometimes funny when she believed the most ridiculous things.

Before I could say anything else, Takanawa-sensei entered the classroom and shooed the students to their desks. Once I sat down in mine and drew out my textbooks, I glanced over to the doorway to find a female student standing there as her copper brown eyes scanned the room nervously. Like most of the toothpick-girls in the school, she was petite; however, she did own an oversized bust (around a C-cup or a D-cup), which she tried to conceal as she clutched a textbook towards her chest. Her long, dirty blonde hair fell almost to her mid-back with two purple berettes pinned on one side of her hair.

"Class, may I have your attention please," Takanawa-sensei's voice boomed throughout the class. As soon as all eyes, including mine, were locked onto his, he continued: "We have a new student joining us for the rest of this year." He nodded towards the girl who stood at the doorway, who then hesitantly stepped towards the front of the class. "Everyone, this is Maya Travers, who has transferred here from St. Lobelia Girls' Academy."

A former Lobelia girl._ Wonder if she's as crazy as the Zuka Club..._

Then, the instructor turned to the new student. "Would you like to say something, Miss Travers?"

"Um, sure..." she answered, hesitantly. Then, she turned towards the class and released a deep breath. "Hi, I'm Maya Travers. I, um... I like reading and collecting stuff... And... it's very nice to be attending Ouran Academy for the remainder of the year." She paused as she gazed around the room, probably wondering what else to say. Then, she glanced up at the teacher. "That is all."

"Well, we're very glad to have you in our class, Miss Travers," Takanawa-sensei spoke. "Now, why don't you take a seat by..." he paused as he scanned over the empty seats in the classroom. "Take a seat by Asuka Ajume. Ajume-san, please raised your hand."

The black-haired girl raised her hand halfheartedly, and immediately afterwards, the Lobelia transfer student weaved through the rows and sat down in a vacant desk beside Asuka. I watched as the girl nervously pulled out her books for the homeroom class. From her introduction, she didn't seem like any of those crazy Zuka Club girls. Maybe not all of the students there were... lesbians.

Every once in a while, I would glance over at Asuka and Maya. Of course, during class, they paid full attention to the teacher; however, when the time came for changing classes, or break time, the two traveled wordlessly and sat themselves in a desk. Well, Maya was the new student here at Ouran, so I wouldn't blame her for being shy and nervous around all the other students. Heck, she probably wasn't used to seeing boys.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch period, the students packed away their books into their bag and filed out of the classroom, chatting and gossiping amongst their friends. From what I could overhear, most were confabulating about how and where they spent their Christmas break, while others were chatting about the springtime and graduation.

So much time had passed since I first arrived at Ouran Academy, and I had enough time since the beginning of the second semester to confess my feelings for Kyoya. Of course, I was already too late, and he would be married to some girl. Come to think of it, Kyoya never did tell me _who_ exactly he was getting married to. Well, lesson learned: When you have feelings for someone, let them know; you never know what's around the bend that could change everything.

"...so Spot the dog decided to go skydiving," Natalie's voice spoke from beside me. I snapped back into reality as she continued: "The instructor did warn him that it would be dangerous, but Spot jumped anyway."

She paused, like she was waiting for the perfect moment to add something.

"Then what, Natalie-san?" Tao inquired.

The partially-Goth-girl smirked. "That's how Spot became Splat!"

With that, she burst into a fit of laughter, while the rest of us deadpanned. I sighed. For a moment there I thought that Natalie would lift my spirits a little bit. But, no, she had to use her dark humor.

"Aww... that poor little puppy..." Taylor mused.

"It's just a joke, Tay," Natalie spoke. "It's not like it actually happened." Then she folded her arms and scoffed. "You guys will never understand my humor."

"No, Natalie, I don't think we will..." remarked Tao.

Both Taylor and Tao sighed, and soon we entered the cafeteria to order our lunch. Like always, I brought my bento with leftovers from the night before; and as soon as my three classmates had received their trays, the four of us walked through the large cafeteria to find a table with a few empty seats close by. While I scanned the cafeteria grounds, I noticed both Maya and Asuka sitting at a table with four vacant seats near them. Neither girls glanced over or spoke a word to each other. Maya only glanced down at her tray as she continued to eat, while Asuka was engaged in one of her textbooks, which lay on the table.

"K.C.?" Taylor's voice spoke, interjecting my thoughts.

I snapped out of my reverie and turned around to find that the three of them were ready to sit in the seats they had found. "Oh, I was just thinking..." I spoke as I glanced back over at the two silent girls. "We should probably sit over there with Maya."

"The new girl?" Natalie inquired.

"Yeah," I answered. "What's so wrong about that?"

"Nothing, it's just..."

"Just what? All of us were 'the new girl' once. But, look at us now. We're good friends."

Tao, Natalie, and Taylor glanced at each other. Silence fell among the four of us as I awaited their answer. Eventually, Tao smiled and walked over to stand beside me. I returned her smile with my own, and soon we were joined by the tall, blonde girl. The three of us faced the Goth girl, who glanced from each of us and then down at the ground.

"Well, Natalie?" Taylor inquired.

The black-haired girl with peach streaks sighed. "All right, fine. But," she added, glancing over at the two silent girls. "Are you sure about this K.C.? I mean, you're at the top of Asuka's 'The-People-I-Wish-Would-Fall-In-A-Hole-And-Die List'."

"So?" I inquired with a smile.

"_So_, she hates your guts!"

I shrugged. "I don't mind. Once I get to know her, she'll probably erase me from her list."

Natalie sighed. "Well, if that's the way you want to die..."

I flashed her a reassuring smile, and then the four of us made our way over to the table. "Hey, Ajume-san, Travers-san."

The transfer student glanced up at us surprised. "Oh... hi."

"Mind if we sit here?" Tao inquired.

Maya hesitated to answer. After giving Asuka an unsure look, the Ajume girl shrugged as her way of saying that she didn't mind. With the confirmation, the former Lobelia girl gazed back up at us.

"S-sure," she answered.

After that, the four of us took a seat at the table. Taylor seated herself beside Asuka, while I sat in between Natalie and Tao.

"Have I seen you four from somewhere?" Maya inquired.

Taylor nodded. "We're in your class. I'm Taylor Zierau."

"I'm Tao Jinjou," the brunette spoke.

"I'm Natalie Himuzawa," Goth-girl added.

"And I'm Katherine Johnson," I ended.

"Pleased to meet you all," Maya spoke with a small smile. "It's nice to meet others in my class besides Ajume-san."

"Yeah, study-a-holic over there isn't much of a conversationalist," Natalie spoke.

"Shut it, Himuzawa," Asuka growled.

"Someone's a little grouchy," Natalie taunted.

Asuka only groaned and turned her attention back towards her book. After a few moments, an awkward silence fell amongst us all at the table, mainly because we were all unsure of what to say. Honestly, I didn't think I'd even make far as introductions.

"So," Natalie perked up. "Have you guys heard the one about Spot the dog?"

Tao, Taylor, and I froze instantly at her random question. Of course, Asuka only ignored us while Maya raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"No, not really..." she answered.

"It's a really funny joke," she explained. "You see, there was a puppy-dog named Spot, and-"

At that moment, Tao and I clamped a hand over the girl's mouth.

"Do you really want to make _that_ kind of first-impression, Natalie?" Taylor inquired as Tao and I struggled to keep our hands over her mouth. Then, she turned to the former Lobelia student. "You'll have to excuse her. She has a strange sense of humor."

"Oh, that fine," Maya answered with another one of those smiles.

"So," I began after Tao and I both released Natalie, "you transferred from Lobelia?"

Maya nodded. "It was just a little too crazy for me."

"So, what made you decide to choose Ouran?" Tao inquired.

"Well, my dad was thinking about putting me through home school for the rest of the school year," she explained. "But, I decided to give real school another go."

"That's good to hear," Taylor remarked.

"Yeah," Natalie added. "Now you get to hang out with not only girls, but boys too, especially the super cute ones at the Host Club."

Maya tilted her head to the side confused. Obviously, she had never heard of the kind of club. The Zuka Club was one of the most popular clubs at Lobelia, or so I've heard, so they most likely didn't have a host club (or, in their case, a Host_ess_ Club).

As soon as Maya opened her mouth to ask, Asuka scoffed. "The Host Club is only filled with a bunch of womanizers who just want to get to you. They're all about the looks, and even dress half naked in some of their 'cosplay'. Heck, those two twins are no doubt the worst of them all."

I stared at her confused and somewhat astounded. Asuka was the only girl that I knew so far who had no interest in the Host Club whatsoever. I understood her opinion of the Host Club, but she didn't have the whole story.

"You know, Ajume-san," I spoke calmly. "The club isn't all about flirting with girls..."

For the first time since I sat down at the table, Asuka glanced up from her textbook and faced me. "All I know is that the club is just a scam to offer fake-love to the girls who go there. Trust me, my older sister goes there all the time and comes home with five or so picture books and doujinshis. Those clueless girls don't have the brain to understand that no matter how much they like a certain host, they're never going to end up with them."

There was that aching pain again. Asuka's last remark struck me like lightning as memories of Christmas night flashed unwillingly through my mind. Kyoya was a host at the club; I had feelings for him; but, I never forced the words out of my mouth. I glanced down at my half-full bento, as tears began to fill my eyes. Asuka's words continued to ring in my mind as the scenes continued.

Placing the lid over my box, I picked it up and stood up from the table. "Well, I enjoyed having lunch with you all. So, if you'll excuse me, I need to... get ready for the next class."

The girls at the table, minus Asuka, stared at me bewildered.

"But, we have another thirty minutes," Taylor protested.

"Yeah, so just sit back down and chat a little more," Natalie added.

"Thanks, but no thanks, you guys," I answered, not even looking at them. "I'll see you in class."

With that, I weaved through the chairs and traveled out of the cafeteria with my box wrapped in its cloth. I kept my head hung as I made my way out of the cafeteria and down the hallway. I understood that Asuka had no intention of hurting me when she said that, but I couldn't help but want to crawl in a hole and cry my eyes out.

**~ . . * . . ~**

_CLANG!_

I stood there in front of my locker in the vacant hallway. I had already collected my books and everything else I would need for the afternoon classes, but there was plenty of time left to spare. My feet never moved from their spot, and I stared down at them, allowing my head to rest against the cold, metal locker door. The only thing that surrounded me was pure silence, but I still refused to utter a simple sob.

As I looked back on my school year here at Ouran Academy, it was difficult for me to believe how much time had passed by. It felt like only yesterday, I was sitting in the chairman's office for the interview; now, I was in my final term. After graduation in March, I would be back on the plane heading home; and after that, it was back to online courses cooped up in my room. Where had the time gone?

When I realized my feelings for the Ootori boy, I had plenty of time to admit my feelings. But, what did I do? I covered them up with lies, and white-lies. Now, Kyoya was engaged; and as soon as he graduated, he would be out of my life forever. We were never together, never an item, never truly dated; therefore, we never really had a breakup. But, why did it feel like we did?

I sighed as I glanced down at my bracelet. Kyoya didn't replace it; instead, he had it repaired. The craftsman he took it to sure did a fine job, because it looked like it had just been bought at the store: no dents, no chips, no cracks. It was flawless. Even the engraving looked brand new. Turning the chain around with my free hand, I gazed down at the etched marking: **With Love Always...** It was first etched to show how much my brother cared for me; but now... now it felt as if Kyoya was the one who cared for me. If so, why was he getting married to some other girl. It just didn't make any sense.

"K.C.?" a voice asked from beside me.

I stood up straight and glanced over to find Tao with a concerned expression. Not wanting her to worry about me, I plastered on a smile. "Hey, Tao. What's up?"

"Are you all right?" she asked.

I nodded. "I'm fine."

Apparently, she didn't believe me. "Has anyone ever told you that you're not too great with lying?"

I frowned. "All the time."

"Did Asuka hurt you by what she said?"

"No."

"You sure?"

"Well... kind of..."

"What?"

I sighed. "The last thing she said: '...no matter how much a girl likes a host, they're never going to end up with them'."

"Oh, I see. So, the boy you've been crushing on was a host?"

I nodded.

"Who was it?"

Silence filled the hallway, and I hesitated to answer at first. Then, I hung my head staring at the floor. "Kyoya..."

"Ootori-senpai?" Tao repeated, astounded.

I nodded, but then I turned back to the locker, placing my hand on the metal door. "I was too late..."

"Too late for what?"

"Too late to tell him... how I felt..." I paused to release a sigh. "There's nothing I can do now."

Silence fell between us. After witnessing Tao's confession to Satoshi, she made it seem so easy to do. What was it about Kyoya that I couldn't utter a simple word? He wasn't that intimidating to me anymore. I was too late now. Even if I did confess my feelings, it wouldn't change anything.

"Who are you, and what have you done with K.C.?" Tao's stern tone inquired.

Confused, I lifted my head up and faced her. "This _is_ me, Tao."

"No, it's not," she answered, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "The K.C. _I_ knew always said: 'if you have strong feelings for a boy, you have to tell him how you feel no matter what. If he doesn't return your love, just brush him off and move on to the next one. You have to stay positive. It's not going to be the end of the world. Not every first love ends up as 'the one'."

I stared at her wide-eyed as the memories of every pep-talk I had with Tao flooded into my mind. As I gazed at her for a few more moments, I smiled. "I guess the student has schooled the master."

Tao smiled back, but before she could say anything, the two of us were interrupted by a pair of footsteps echoing down the hallway. We turned our attentions towards the source, and I felt my heart skip as soon as the Ootori boy turned around the corner. He was engaged in his notebook, paying no attention to us at the other end of the hallway. I could feel my face heat up as I stared across the corridor at the black-haired boy, who had stopped to jot down something in his notebook.

Tao gave me a gentle nudge forward. "You have an opportunity open."

I glanced back at her, still to afraid to take one step forward; but, after one quick glance at Tao's reassuring smile, I felt calmer. Before I even knew what I was doing, I was walking down the hall towards The Shadow King. This was it. The moment of truth. _No turning back now._

"K-Kyoya-senpai...?" I managed to stutter out as I stood in front of him.

"Yes, Katherine-san?" he answered, not even glancing up from his notes.

"Um... Listen, I've been meaning to talk to you about something..." I began.

"We have fifteen minutes until class begins," Kyoya spoke, closing his notebook and then adjusting his glasses. Then, he gave me that fake smile. "So, what would you like to talk about?"

"Well, I... I've had this thought on my mind for a while now," I began lamely. _A while? More like a couple of months..._

"Oh?"

I nodded. But, then I paused trying to piece my words together. As soon as I collected enough courage, I gazed up into his smoky gray eyes. "Do you-"

"Kyoya-kun!" a melodic voice sang, interrupting me.

As soon as I glanced over my shoulder, I nearly froze on the spot. It was none other than the Pre-Madonna, Kimiko, with that fake, cheery smile on her face. I sighed mentally. Great, just when I had the chance.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," she spoke happily as she approached us. Then, she glanced down at me, with that grin still on her face. "Oh, Katherine. Good to see you. I didn't expect you to be _here_."

_We're by the lockers and class is about to start. Why wouldn't I be here?_ No matter how much I hated her for interrupting the moment, I plastered on a smile: "Good to see you too, Kimiko-san."

"Listen, you wouldn't mind if I borrowed Kyoya for a minute, would you?" she inquired. "There are some things I need to talk to him about."

I glanced from the two of them. What "things" would Kimiko have to talk to Kyoya about? Well, my guess was that Kimiko was going to admit her feelings for Kyoya (as if it wasn't obvious already...)

"No, I don't mind at all," I answered, still keeping that smile on my face.

Kimiko gave that fake-cheery smile again, and then she and Kyoya turned and walked down the intersecting corridor. I watched them until they came to the end of that hallway and then turned, disappearing from my sight.

"Grr, did that diva have to interrupt you two?" Tao's enraged voice inquired.

"I was close," I answered sadly.

"Well, the next time I see her I'll-"

"Easy, Tao. This isn't your fight," I spoke, turning to her. There was a pause, but then I put on a reassuring smile. "Besides, I still have club hours."

The brunette sighed. "All right. Just don't choke when you tell him."

I giggled. "I'll be sure not to."

**~ . . * . . ~**

Afternoon classes flew by in a flash, and typically I would be dreading to drag my weary legs down the hall to the South Wing of the building. No, this time, I was confident. I was going to confess to Kyoya, and get that question off my chest, no matter how busy he was. I didn't care if he was engaged or not. By the end of the day, he would know how I've felt since the beginning of the second term.

As soon as turned the corner, I nearly gasped when I saw Kimiko leaning against the wall. Sure, I was still ticked off at her for interrupting my moment with Kyoya, but she's done tons of things to me that I detest her for.

"Kimiko-san," I spoke calmly.

"Why were you talking to him?" she inquired.

"Who?" I asked.

"Don't play stupid with me," she scoffed. "Why were you talking to Kyoya?"

"We're friends," I answered. "Can't friends talk to each other?"

"True. But you two act more like an item."

"Well..."

"Didn't you say he was mine?"

Okay, that was it! I was sick and tired of Kimiko treating me like a pile of junk, and acting obsessed with Kyoya. As much as I wanted to kick her butt, I held back the urge, as well as the urge to lash out at her.

"Kimiko, I thought I told you to stop treating me like this," I spoke. "Besides, Kyoya-senpai is a human being. You can't own someone -unless, they're your personal slave of course, but that's beside the point. You can't own Kyoya, I don't own him. Now, if you'll excuse me," I added, walking down the hall, "I need to head to my club."

There was silence for a moment, but then Kimiko's voice broke through the air. "On the contrary, Katherine. Kyoya _is_ mine."

I stopped, and then I turned around confused. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't heard?" the pre-Madonna inquired. Then, she smirked and strode over to me. "Poor Katherine. Poor, naive little Katherine. I'm surprised that _you,_ one of Kyoya 'friends', wouldn't know."

"Know _what_?"

Placing a hand on her hip, she flashed that sassy smile. "Kyoya and I are engaged."

My eyes widened as I stared up at her. Wait, Kyoya was going to marry this witch?

"You might not know this," Kimiko continued. "But, my family owns a medical supply industry, and a few clinics. Since Ootori Medical is one of the most famous medical companies in Tokyo, as well as across Japan, it would make perfect sense why our parents would join the companies together. So, what better way to do that than betroth the youngest and smartest Ootori boy to the heiress of Harikoshi Industries."

I was completely dumbstruck. That was the reason why these two were getting married. Just to join two stupid companies? Not only was I heartbroken, but rage began to build up inside me. Kyoya wasn't marrying for love. He was marrying for money and power!

As infuriated as I was, I forced a smile. "Well, congratulations, Kimiko-san. I hope the joining of both of your families' companies will flourish."

She smiled, and then she turned around and sauntered down the hall. As soon as she disappeared, I stormed down the opposite corridor towards the Host Club with rage and fury in every step. That selfish son of a bitch! Kimiko was obviously pleased with the marriage because she liked the Ootori boy; of course, Kyoya was only getting married because of the expansion his family would receive.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as I reached the Third Music Room, I set my hand on the door handle and turned it. As I pushed the door open, I noticed that everyone was relaxing, for the little time they had before hosting hours began. My eyes scanned the room, for the Shadow King. As much as I wanted to confess my feelings, I think that talking to him about this marriage was the most important.

Suddenly two identical figures popped up in front of me. "Hey, K.C.!" they spoke together. "Glad your back!"

I didn't have time to answer because the two brothers were shoved aside by the Host Club president, who then cheered with delight. "Ah! My darling daughter has returned! How was your Christmas? Good, I assume?"

Of course, I ignored his questions and glared up at him. Tamaki, including the twins, instantly froze like ice as they trembled in front of me. Tamaki had seen me in my enraged state before, but not the twins. It looked like all of them were about to wet themselves.

"Where. Is. Ootori.?" I inquired, slowly.

Still trembling, the three upperclassmen stepped aside and pointed towards the black-haired student, who sat at an empty table with his back turned to me. Obviously he was engaged in his work since his sleek black laptop sat on the table in front of him. Without hesitation, I stormed over to the table and crossed my arms as soon as I reached the Shadow King.

He turned to me, and plastered on that fake smile. "Ah, Katherine, good to see you. Did you enjoy your break?"

"Cut the act, senpai," I answered curtly, glaring down at him.

He put on that solid mask again and turned back to his computer. "Can I help you with anything?"

"I need to talk to you," I answered. "In private."

"I assume that what you wish to talk about may take up to a couple of minutes," he spoke, adjusting his glasses as he lounged back in his chair, then folded his arms. "As you know, we need to ready the clubroom in a few more moments before-"

I didn't want to hear him talk any longer. After everything I had been through the past weekend, and what I found out after lunch, I had to have a little conversation with him, and I didn't care how long it took! Quickly placing my hand on his computer lid, I slammed it closed. Thankfully that shut him up, and he gazed up at my questioningly.

"Now," I hissed.

Without hesitation, the Shadow King stood up from his chair and followed me into the kitchen. I was so irate with both Kyoya and Kimiko that I didn't even know where to start; of course, as soon as the two of us entered the large kitchen coated in silver, I let out all my fury.

"Kimiko Harikoshi is your fiancé?" I asked.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "You weren't supposed to know."

"Well, apparently I do," I answered curtly. "How long did you think I would go _without knowing?_"

"Until graduation."

"FUNNY BUSINESS ISN'T GOING TO GET YOU OFF THE HOOK, OOTORI!"

I released a few deep breaths to calm myself. Crap. I shouldn't have lashed out like that. Kyoya could raise my debt for just yelling at him. I scoffed at the thought. It didn't matter much to me now.

"Is there a reason why your so upset about this, Johnson?" the Shadow King inquired calmly.

"Yeah," I answered. "You're just doing it for the power of the company."

"You can't accuse me of _that_," Kyoya answered. "It was my father's idea. Now, hosting hours will begin in a few minutes."

With that, he turned around and headed towards the door. I glared at him as I watched him leave; however, I wasn't going to let him get away from me now.

"So that's it?" I asked, folding my arms. "You're just doing this because your dad said so."

Kyoya stopped, but didn't turn back around.

"You know, senpai, you're going to be graduating at the end of the year," I spoke. "You're going to be an adult and making _your own_ decisions. Your daddy isn't going to be there telling you what to do 24/7. I respect the fact that you want to do whatever you can to inherit your family's company, but you're never going to be happy by trying to please everyone else. You're never going to be happy with your new life after your marriage. What if something happens to Ootori Medical or Harikoshi Industries during that time? If either company went bankrupt, where would you go? I can guarantee you this, Kyoya: if you go through with this marriage, you're never going to be happy with your life." I paused, and then I glanced away. "If you ask me, happiness and love is far more valuable than money, power, or any other material things. It makes your life worth living... living with that special someone who is close to you. But," I added, turning back to him. "If you'd rather go on with this decision, fine. I'm not going to stop you. If pleasing others and achieving your goal is your happiness, that's fine."

As soon as I finished, I stared at Kyoya's back as he continued to stand there like a tree rooted in the ground. A couple moments of silence fell between us, but then I noticed Kyoya move his hand towards his face to adjust his glasses.

"It's time for hosting hours to begin," he spoke, not even facing me.

I stood there taken aback as he placed his hand on the door. "Were you even listening to me, Ootori?"

He didn't answer. The Shadow King only stepped out of the kitchen and walked through the clubroom. I stood there frozen in place as I thought over what I said. Kyoya was never going to be happy if he continued to please his father. Of course, I understood that he wanted to inherit the company, and if the only way for him to do that was to please his father and do well in school, that was fine with me.

After a few more moments of silence I sighed. "Kyoya... If you only knew..."

**~ . . * . . ~**

Hosting hours felt like an eternity as I decorated the cakes and readied the tea and coffee for the guests. As soon as it was over though, I found myself scrubbing the dishes clean and placing them in the little basket to dry. Hanging up my apron, I glanced around to make sure that I completed all my chores. Once I knew that I had everything finished for tomorrow, I grabbed my satchel and walked out into the clubroom.

"K.C.-chan!" Hunny's all too familiar voice squeaked.

I glanced over to find him bounding up to me with that wide smile on his face. "Hey, Hunny-senpai."

"Do you wanna have some cake with me and Takashi?" the boy Lolita inquired.

"No thanks, senpai," I answered. "Maybe some other time."

"Okay!" the Loli-shota replied. "See you later then!"

With that, he bounded off towards his cousin and began to happily munch on his cake. I sighed as I continued to walk through the clubroom.

"Hey, K.C.," Hikaru's voice spoke from my left side.

"Whatcha doing?" Kaoru added, from my right.

"Going home," I answered blandly.

"Why? Don't you want to stay and hang out with us?" the brothers inquired together. "We'd love to play with you for a while."

"No thanks, you guys."

Thankfully, the twins left me alone after that. I didn't really feel like doing anything with anyone at the moment, or talking to anyone for that matter. At least I didn't have to deal with the hyperactive spaz of a "king". He was busy forcing Haruhi into some kind of bear costume with pink bows tied around the ears. Finally, I made it to the door and would be on my way back to my apartment.

That is, until I was stopped by a certain someone: "Katherine-san, could I speak with you for a minute?"

My face lit up as I gazed over at the Shadow King. Maybe he had taken our talk into consideration. Maybe... Maybe he would even wish to speak with me in private where I could admit my feelings for him.

"Yes, senpai?" I inquired, walking up to his table.

"I've added another 30,000 yen to your debt," he answered smoothly.

I nearly fainted at the thought. Just when I got my hopes up too...

"For what?" I asked.

Without a word, the Ootori boy pushed his computer lip up to reveal a circular, spider-web-like cracks in his screen. I gazed in horror at the sight, and that was when I noticed one of Kyoya's pens lying on the keyboard. So, when I slammed the lid down, the pen made the screen crack.

"Just be thankful that I consistantly save my documents on a flash-drive," the Shadow King added coldly.

"Sorry about that, senpai..." I spoke.

"Apology accepted," he answered. "You're dismissed."

After that, I turned and began making my way back to the door. Well, at least the day was over, and all I had to worry about was finishing my homework and studying for my upcoming tests. As soon as I rested my hand on the golden door handle, I thought for sure that I was home free; but I was sadly wrong.

"K.C.! You're sister won't wear the cute teddy-bear costume!" Tamaki's irritating voice cried. Then I felt him pull me to the side and shove the wretched bear costume in my face. "_You'll_ put in on for Daddy right?"

If this were a cartoon, steam would be blowing out of my ears at this very moment. Without a word, I grabbed the costume and hurled it across the room, making Tamaki gasp in shock.

"I don't want to eat cake, I don't want to play anything, and I certainly DO NOT want to wear SOME STUPID BEAR COSTUME!" I lashed out at him. "ALL I WANT TO DO IS GO HOME!"

After that, I whirled around and stormed back over to the door. The last thing I heard before exiting into the hallway was the twins sneer: "Somebody's having a bad day..." Of course, I just rolled my eyes and flung the door open, slamming it shut as soon as I stepped into the hallway. Well, the twins were right, this just wasn't one of my days.

* * *

**Oh, snap! Someone's in one of her moods!**

**K.C:** Shut up! I had a rough day!

**Tamaki's corner if open if you need it~!**

**K.C.:** No, thanks...

**What about his hamster home?**

**K.C.:** DAMN IT SUPERGIRL, JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!

**Sorry, geez... Anyways... Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, and the broken computer screen was all AllyraMortlock's idea. Poor K.C... she's got so much to pay off...**

**K.C.:** Oh, shut up!

**Just ignore her, she'll get over it eventually! Rate and Review please-eth!**

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_**SNEAK PEAK FOR CHAPTER 35:**_

_I strode down the hallway to Music Room 2. Like always, the room was empty, waiting for me to fill it with my sorrowful tunes. Walking over to the piano, I set my bag down by the stool and sat down in front of the keys. Placing my hands on the correct spots on the ivory keys I began to play whatever sad tune popped in my mind. I wasn't up for singing at the moment for fear of breaking out into tears. This week just hadn't been my week._

_"Johnson-san?" a velvety male voice spoke from the doorway._

_Startled, I took my hands off the keys, afraid that I had been caught by a teacher, or the chairman. When I glanced over towards the open doorway, I found that it wasn't a teacher, thankfully; in fact, it wasn't even an adult. It was a tall, male student with shaggy, honey-blonde hair tied back into a Revolutionary-War-styled ponytail. It was difficult to distinguish his more detailed features in the moonlit room, but I knew that I had seen him somewhere before._

_Suddenly, realization dawned on me. "Takeda-senpai?"_

_He smiled and nodded._

_"I thought most of the students left for home already," I spoke._

_"I was on my way, but I heard the piano music from the hallway," he answered. "So I just popped by to check it out."_

_I sighed and glanced down at the black and white keys. "I usually come here to play whenever I can't express my emotions verbally."_

_"I see. So, you put them in song form?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Rough week?"_

_I nodded._

_"Would you mind if I played with you?"_

_Surprised, I glanced over at him and hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to reply. Glancing down at the keys, I was afraid that the two of us would get caught. When, I looked back up at Kazuki, I found that he was leaning against the piano with a charmer's grin, kind of like the one Tamaki had._

_"Two stars are brighter than one," he spoke._

_I smiled. "All right."_

_

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**Replies to reviews from previous chapter:**

**AllyraMortlock: Sorry about that... I actually deleted the OC creator note from the previous chapter 31, so I think that screwed up the reviews a little... My bad! Sorry! Aww... thanks! She'd really appreciate that! And thanks for the cracking computer screen idea! It went well with the story! Kudos!**

**silverrain1312: Sorry about that... I think that deleting the previous Author's note kinda screwed it up a little. My Bad! ^.^'. Trust me, lots of my readers/reviewers didn't see it coming. Yayz People still like me even though I through them off the predictable tracks! ^.^**

**Shan-Shan XP: Sorry... I couldn't resist that twist. If you guys like the sneak peeks, I'll keep giving 'em to you! ;)**

**Moonlight's Shadow Warrior: Kyoya's in huge trouble! Haha! Yes, our readers may not like us for it, but it keeps everyone on the edge of their seats. Yeah, I've read a couple of Ouran fics, and the plots are sometimes totally predictable. Aww... thanks! And, yes, get your sister to read this! The more the merrier!**

**BravoMonAmi: Trust me. Many people didn't. How's that for a twist? ;) Yes! Stay on the edge of your seat until you fall off! JK LOlz!**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Oh, I'm sorry... But, hey, that's a twist for ya.**

**BunnyNinja: Yeah, the mistletoe kinda got everyone in for it, and then there was the TWIST BOMB MUAHAHAHAHAH! Sorry... Thanks though!**

**Witty-Lillte-RedHead: Really. Cool! Yes, sadly our dear Shadow King is going to be wed... Have fun in the hamster home!**

**Aurora-16: Yeah, sorry, my fault on that part... Sorry... I couldn't resist! :D. I have other ideas for the OCs, so, yeah.**


	35. A New Hope

**Hello again everyone~! Aaaaannnnd... HAPPY NEW YEAR!**

**Sorry this chapter is, like, a day late... I've had a busy weekend that I didn't know was even going to be busy! So, since I'm pretty much writing everything all tonight, it's kinda short and choppy... Sowwy!**

**IMPORTANT NOTE:**

**Okay, so I know that most of you are probably wondering... "Why in the world is she posting TWO CHAPTERS this week? Why can't she do that all the time?" Well, you see... THIS chapter was supposed to be for next Friday, but I'm going to be at an ANIME CONVENTION all that weekend. SQUEEE! VIC, TODD, AND MICHAEL ALL IN ONE! YAYz! I IS SO EXCITED! XD. Don't worry, I'll be sure to post my photos on my DeviantART page for you all ;).**

**So, what did you guys think of the last chapter? So, with Kyoya now engaged to Kimiko, how will K.C. be able to cope? Read on for the answers!**

**OCs USED IN THIS CHAPTER (Yeah, I'm using repeats, but a few new ones~!):**

**Taylor Zierau (Snow'n'Cupcakes)**

**Natalie Himuzawa (ToniHart)**

**Maya Travers (Aurora-16)**

**Izuma & Asuka Ajume (silverrain1312)**

**Kaito Chihiro (Haruta Yari)**

**Kazuki Takeda (The Violet Queen)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything Ouran-related. I also do NOT own the other OCs in this chapter. They rightfully belong to their owners (listed above).**

**Claimer: I own MY OCs.**

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**~ Chapter 35 ~**

**A New Hope**

Wednesday, one of the most stressful days of the week. Most people call it hump day, since it was planted smack dab in the middle of the week. Aside from just the particular day being the most stressful, my entire week had been stressful. For the rest of Monday, and all throughout Tuesday, I was trying to get rid of the fact that Kyoya was going to marry that witch, Kimiko. Obviously, Kimiko would never refuse the engagement, since she had a thing for Kyoya; and the Ootori boy wouldn't refuse for fear of dishonoring his father.

Of course, it wasn't going to be easy for me to get him out of my mind. First off, the fact that I hadn't even confessed my feelings to him yet was still eating me up inside. It would be difficult to admit now. Every time I saw Kyoya, at lunch, in the hallways, or by the lockers, I would muster up the courage to talk to him, but then Kimiko interjects and starts chatting about the wedding plans. During club hours was never a good time since that was when he was the busiest. Either way it was hopeless. There was no way around this.

Well, like Joe said, I had to get over him. Not every first love ends up as 'the one'. There was someone out there for me. It just wasn't Kyoya, no matter how much I wanted it to be.

Well, at least the weather had warmed up a bit since I returned to Japan, so I wasn't dreading the fact of trudging through the cold all the way to school. Eventually, I caught sight of blue a head of me, and I quickened my pace to catch up to it.

"Hey, Haruhi! Wait up!" I called out.

Upon hearing the name, the figure stopped and turned to face me. Sure enough it was the female host member. For once, I was glad to see one of the hosts. Ever since my fury explosion on Monday, the hosts wouldn't dare draw close to me. (Well, except for Mori, Haruhi, and Kyoya, whom I could care less about at the moment...). Still, the past few days had been eating at me, and I just needed someone to talk to, no matter what kind of conversation we were having.

"Hey, K.C.," the female host spoke with a smile. "Glad to meet up with you on the way to school."

"Same here," I answered. "I just figured you might be a little lonely on the way to school."

"Thanks for being considerate," the female host spoke with a smile.

Yeah, it had been a while since both Haruhi and I walked to school together. Some days, I was just too stressed out to even start a conversation with her; of course, this week had been the worst for me so far.

"Is everything all right, K.C.?" Haruhi inquired, breaking the silence.

I glanced over at her, and then sighed. "Yeah, this week has just stressed me out a little."

"I noticed that Monday wasn't all that great for you?"

"Not really... but, hey, it's no wonder. I mean, we just started the final trimester." I paused as I gazed up at the sky. "I wish time hadn't flown by so fast. I sure am going to miss it here."

"Yeah, it's going to be more difficult to endure the Host Club. You were one of the few sane ones that kept everything under control."

I grinned, with a chuckle. "At least I tried to."

Haruhi laughed along with me. Sure, she, Mori, Kyoya and I were the only ones in the club who weren't hyper-active or crazy. Well, Mori does go along with Tamaki's crazy plans, only because Hunny does. Of course, the club's crazy antics brought the excitement and adventure in a boring or stressful day. Despite the fact that the club was filled with crazy guys, with Haruhi as one of the exceptions, they stuck together like a family does.

As soon as we approached the school campus and traveled down the cobblestone driveway to the main door, Haruhi and I went our separate ways. Class would begin in fifteen minutes, so I made my way over to the lockers to pack everything I would need for the morning classes into my bag. From now until graduation, every day would be the same: I would come to school, go to classes, go to the Host Club in the afternoon, and then head back to my apartment afterwards. Of course, I wasn't sure what I would do on the weekends. Maybe I would hang out with Haruhi, since we rarely see each other much.

"... I come alive in the night time... do do dee do~" a voice sang, in more of a whisper from beside me.

Glancing around the door of my locker, I found a girl around my age with long, wavy black hair with peach streaks. She was shuffling through her locker and gathering her books while humming and singing a little bit of the lyrics to the song, which I recognized as an American song due to the fact that she was singing it in English.

"Natalie?" I inquired.

The girl stopped singing and glanced over with her wide, copper brown eyes. After a while, she smiled. "Oh, hey, K.C. What's up?"

"Nothing much, just getting ready for homeroom," I replied. "So, you like to sing?"

"Kind of," she answered. "Mainly some R&B songs from America."

"So, that's what you were singing?"

She nodded. "It's a song called 'What's my Name?' by Rhianna."

"I think I've heard of her before..."

"Hey K.C., Natalie."

Both she and I turned around to find our other three classmates.

"Oh, hey, Tao, Maya, Taylor," Natalie spoke, closing her locker door. "Ready for class?"

They all nodded, and then the five of us began walking down the hallway to our homeroom class.

"I can't wait for biology," Taylor spoke. "I hear we're learning about reptiles."

"Are reptiles your favorite species?" I inquired.

She nodded. "Especially snakes!"

I was rather astounded. Most of the girls I knew couldn't stand slimy creatures, especially slithery snakes. Frogs, snakes, and bugs were creatures that most girls couldn't stand to touch or even be near.

"You know, Taylor," Natalie spoke. "I hear we're dissecting a snake today."

The blonde girl with glasses froze. "S-seriously? Why didn't someone tell me we were dissecting poor, innocent snakes?"

"Because we're not," Tao answered bluntly.

Taylor sighed with relief. "Thank goodness."

"I remember in Middle School, I had to dissect all sorts of animals," Maya spoke. "Frogs, crayfish, and even pig fetuses. It was hard to force myself to cut open the poor things, and I'll admit that I passed out once. Of course, I got used to it in the end."

"You know, Maya, you've gotten more talkative since you first came here on Monday," Tao remarked.

"Yeah, well, it took a day to get adjusted to this school," she answered. "Afterwards, I just became my regular-self."

"So, what clubs are you going to participate in?" Taylor inquired.

"Um, I'm not sure yet," Maya spoke. "Back at Lobelia, I was part of the Zuka Club."

"I heard that that's the most popular club in that school," I commented.

"It is," answered the transfer student. "But, now that I'm here at Ouran, I'm not sure what club I'll join."

"You said you like writing, right?" Taylor inquired. "Maybe you could try out the Creative Writing Club."

"Or the Book Club," Tao added. "You like reading, right?"

Maya nodded.

"Did you even like the Zuka Club, Maya?" I asked.

"Kind of," she answered. "It was a little crazy..."

"Well, at Ouran they have this club called the Stellar Club, which was inspired by the Zuka Club," I explained. "It has pretty much the same thing the Zuka Club has with the singing and acting and performance stuff."

"I'll look into it."

For the rest of our journey to class, the five of us chatted about what plans we had over the weekend and scheduling a get together some day. As soon as we reached the classroom, we strode over to our desks and gathered everything we would need for the first class. As I glanced over at the four girls, I was glad that I was able to build relationships outside of the Host Club. My year here at Ouran was like a rollercoaster, I had my ups and my downs. From what I've learned though, whenever there was a down, there was always an up close by.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Both the morning classes and lunch had flown by, and I once again found myself at my locker gathering my books for my afternoon classes. Just three more months of this and then graduation, and then I would be back home. I sighed at the thought of leaving the Academy, and then I closed my locker and shouldered my book-bag.

"Please, Izuma, go to the Host Club this afternoon," a male voice echoed down the hallway.

"Not this time, Kaito," a female voice answered.

Raising an eyebrow, I peeped around the corner to find two high school students, one male and one female. The boy was tall and lean with fair skin, and upon further inspection, he seemed to be wearing make-up on his face, mainly eye-liner framing his blueish-green eyes. His black hair was spiked and styled with golden streaks; also, he had a ring on each of his fingers.

The girl on the other hand looked somewhat familiar to me. She had a petite body, and her burgundy hair was trimmed into a short bob. Her fair skin was highlighted by the buttercup, female uniform. She reminded me of someone else I knew, but... I just couldn't quite place my finger on it...

"Listen," the boy spoke. "I understand that you're afraid of being in a relationship, but you can't live your life without finding that certain someone. You may end up living a lonely life, Izuma, or, your parents might set you up in an arranged marriage, just like Mikari."

The burgundy-haired girl, who I presumed was Izuma, glanced off into the distance, while the boy stood there waiting for her to say something.

After a few moments passed, the girl sighed. "I'll think about it."

Reeling my head back from around the corner, I straightened myself up and turned around, traveling down the hallway to class. So, this Izuma girl was afraid to go to the Host Club. Well, it seemed like it. Of course, it was understandable why. At a first glance, they seem like a bunch of "womanizers" as Asuka had put it, but I knew that the hosts were all about making every girl happy. Whether is was entertaining them with cuteness and acts, or just complementing them, the hosts were all about seeing a smile on each of the girls' faces.

Still, I couldn't quite figure out why that Izuma girl looked so familiar to me. I shrugged knowing that I would discover it in due time.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Upon entering the classroom, I searched around for an open desk. Sadly, all of the spots that I typically sat in were taken, and the last good seat I could find was beside Asuka, who was looking through her notes. All of my other close friends in the class didn't have any vacant desks around them, so I had to settle for what was open for me. Even if it meant that a particular seat was beside someone who wished I dropped dead.

"Hey, Ajume-san," I spoke with a smile, sitting down at the desk.

She gave a sideways glance up at me, and then focused her attention back on her notes. "Hey."

I understood that she hated me and considered me her rival, but I didn't mind. Besides, she was always by herself, concealed in a little bubble. From what I've seen, she always looked lonely.

"You know, we don't have a test for a few more days," I spoke. "So, there's really no need to get sucked into a book."

"It's better to memorize the detail at any chance you have," she answered, not taking her eyes off the page. "Besides, there will always be pop quizzes."

She did have a point there. I glanced around the room, trying to figure out what I would do for the next five minutes before class began. It was difficult talking to Asuka when she obviously wished that I hadn't been the one to sit next to her.

As I glanced over at her, I noticed that her short, trimmed black hair was styled in a bob. That's when realization struck me. That Izuma girl from earlier had the same kind of hairstyle, and she kind of looked like Asuka in a way. I wonder if...

"Hey, Ajume-san?" I inquired.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"Do you have any sisters?'

"Yeah. Four. Why?"

"Just curious." I paused as I glanced out into space. "I think I saw one of them on the way to class."

"Describe her."

"Um, well she had the same hairstyle as you... only her hair was kind of a burgundy color..."

"Was she with a queer guy?"

I stared at her surprised. Maybe the girl I saw was her sister. "Well, um... I'm not so sure about queer, but... she was with a guy, with a crazy styled hair..."

"That would be Izuma."

"Oh."

Well, at least it was confirmed as her sister. I still couldn't believe that Asuka had four other sisters. What about brothers? I was too afraid to ask for fear of her snapping at me because I was disturbing her while she was studying for an assumed "pop quiz".

"Kaito was trying to get her to go to the Host Club again, wasn't he?" Asuka asked breaking the silence.

"Who?" I asked.

"The guy she was with."

"Yeah..."

Then, Asuka sighed. "She's only trying to find love; but, if you ask me, she can find love somewhere other than a womanizing club."

After that, silence filled the gap between us. She still thought of the Host Club as nothing but at place where guys try to get with girls. I bet that she hadn't even been to the clubroom before, and was only drawing conclusions by her own opinions. Well, if that was her thought on the Host Club, then I wouldn't correct her for it. After all, everyone has their opinion on something.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Club hours soon rolled into the day, I found myself walking down the south wing of the building towards the 3rd Music room. Back to working for the club for the last term of the school year. I better not screw anything up, or else I might have more added to my debt than I could handle... After hearing that the hospital bill was added to my debt, I was tempted to slap myself as hard as I could thinking that it was all a dream. Well, at least Kyoya cut my debt by a third after that ball...

I groaned as I held my head. I wasn't really in the mood for math at the moment...

Well, I was just glad that I didn't have to haul around any boxes of props and costumes. After all the cosplays the hosts have had in the past two terms, I must've burned off a thousand calories or so. Of course, it wasn't like I needed to lose weight. I was, and have always been, nothing but a scrawny toothpick.

As I continued to travel down the hallway, I would glance around, out the windows i passed, and even up at the signs above the doors. I was in the 3rd-year's district of the school. Giving a small chuckle, I thought back on my first year here at Ouran Academy where I took a wrong turn at the main entrance and traveled through the senior's hallways. That was the fateful morning when I first met Kyoya, and if he hadn't have escorted me to my first class, I would've made a bad impression on my class for arriving late.

I sighed just thinking about the Ootori boy. Why couldn't I have told him sooner? Why did I even wait this long? I should've told him from when I first acknowledged my feelings for him. Heck, I should've just shook him awake and told him instead of admitting my feelings to him when he was asleep. Well, all of that was in the past now, and all I could do was move on with my life.

As soon as I reached the 3rd Music Room, I noticed that there was no-one in here. Strange. They couldn't have been meeting out in the courtyard or else they would've told me otherwise. Of course, that was when I heard the murmur of chatting in the dressing room, and I presumed that they were holding some kind of club meeting to figure out what cosplay they would choose next.

Well, hosting hours began in half an hour, so I might as well get started on the desserts.

With that I began walking through the clubroom towards the kitchen; but then, I spotted Kyoya laptop, a brand new one obviously, and his notebook on a table. His computer screen was pitch black, probably because it went into an automatic sleep, while his notebook was wide open. I raised an eyebrow as I turned towards the table. When Kyoya left his notebook on a table, he never left it open, at least, as far as I knew.

As I stared at the notebook on the table, a smirk crossed my face, and then I strode over to the table. Curiosity killed the cat, but what Kyoya didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Even though I snatched Kyoya's notebook one time to find budget notes scribbled inside, I knew that he had to have more than one note book, especially with how much he writes. I mean, every time i saw him he either had his notebook or was working on his laptop. Did he really balance the budget in his notebook? Only one way to find out.

As I held the book I scanned over the notes. **"Cosplay Ideas"** . . . **"Percentage Increase and Decrease of Customers per week"** . . . **"Deduction from Haruhi's debt"** . . . Ooh, she was doing good so far. Just barely reached her quota. I flipped through the pages a few more times to find a couple piece of paper had been used as scratch paper with calculations written on them.

Of course, that's when I turned the page. It was a full bio of Tamaki as well as Kyoya's thoughts on him from when they first met up to the present:

**Befriending Tamaki = Good connections with Suoh family and company**  
**Has an great interest in Japanese Culture  
"Princely-type"  
A flamboyant narcissist. **(No, duh...)  
**Considers club members as "family"  
Obsessed with kotatsus**

Seriously? What was so great about a kotatsu? The rest about Tamaki was the obvious, especially from when I first met him. From when he had a knack for charming the ladies to the point where they were eating out of his hand, and then to his insane plots he came up with. Then there was the note about how Tamaki's family would make good connections with Kyoya's family and company. Was Kyoya using his own best friend for his own personal benefits? After flipping the page, I came across the twin's bio, as well as Kyoya's thoughts on them:

**Have a strong, brotherly bond between each other - second most popular among clients.  
"Little-Devil type"  
Love triangle with Haruhi** (I knew it!)  
**Only fought once in their life.**

Huh... didn't know that. From how close the twins were, it was difficult to tell that the two of them actually fought once. I wonder how they made up... I shrugged as I flipped through the pages, knowing that Haruhi would explain the story. Speaking of the female host...

**Highly intelligent - recipient of special scholarship  
Has no issues with gender dominance  
Unaware of feelings...**

'Unaware of feelings'? Feelings for the twins or feelings for Tamaki? From what i witnessed, Haruhi had no intention of getting with Tamaki, and considered him an annoying nuisance. Maybe, just maybe, Haruhi was saying all those things just to hide the fact that deep down, she actually cared for the perky blonde. As I flipped the page, I came across Hunny's section:

**Former Karate Club President  
Likes Cake and Cute things** (Hmmm... maybe if I could get Hunny to eat some more of the cake... Nah, I wouldn't use him to get me out of debt, I'd be too much like Kyoya)  
**"Boy Lolita"  
High School Graduate, but still a Host**

Okay, so I guess that meant that the Host Club wouldn't be closed forever until all of its members graduated. Well, after graduation, the club would only have one more year here. It was sad to look back and see how much you've done only to find that it's almost over... Then, I flipped to Mori's Profile:

**Somewhat intimidating, but protective of Hunny  
"Strong-Silent type"  
Continues to follow family traditions of serving the Haninozukas  
Doesn't typically "woo" the clients, but shy girls are attracted to him**

Huh. Never would've guessed that. No wonder why Mori watched over Hunny in a protective way. It wasn't just because they were close relatives, but it was also in his blood to serve the little Loli-shota. I sighed as i looked back on the day I first stepped into the clubroom. Mori and Hunny were my first hosts, so I got to see Hunny's cuteness and Mori's stoic self first-hand I flipped through the pages, expecting to find nothing more but blank pages; however, there was more written after Mori.

My eyes widened as I gazed down at the profile paper-clipped to the page, along with the notes written on the notebook paper beside it. **Katherine Johnson**. This know-it-all had been jotting down notes about me since day one? I wanted to rip the notebook in half at the thought, but then realization dawned on me. What if he had written... personal thoughts about me?

**Another highly studious commoner with the ability to receive a scholarship to Ouran Academy. **(And I thought calling someone a "commoner" was just a Tamaki-thing...)**  
Her mind has a tendency to wander off.** (True...)  
**Knows Karate  
Pretended to be rich**  
**Now serving as the Host Club's personal chef.** (This part must've been written after the beach incident...)**  
Terrible Liar  
Scatterbrained at times** (Say What?)**  
Typically doesn't act smart.  
Short-tempered** (Oh, now he's just asking for it...)**  
Reckless**  
**Easily jealous**

Wait... what? 'Easily Jealous'? Since when have I gotten jealous of anyone here at Ouran, or acted jealous in front of Kyoya for that matter. Placing my thumb on the edge of the paper and flipping through the pages, I found that there were more things that rotten Ootori boy had written about me! I didn't even bother reading them. Instead, I slammed the notebook down, open on a random page, and then I whirled around and stormed into the kitchen.

"Hey, K.C.!" Hikaru called out, as the club filed out from the dressing room.

"When did you get here?" Kaoru asked.

"A few minutes ago," I answered blandly.

"Wanna hang out for a while?" they inquired together.

"No thanks."

Without another word, I slipped into the kitchen and grabbed my apron. I couldn't believe all the things Kyoya had written about me in his little black book, there was more written than what I had read; but, why even bother reading if it was just going to tear myself esteem down. I sighed as I grabbed the cakes out and set them on the island in the center of the room. Well, I was right after all. Kyoya didn't have any feelings for me.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as Hosting Hours were through I took my time cleaning the kitchen up before heading out. I didn't care if I took too slow while finishing my after-club-hours chores. My rage for Kyoya had once again turned into dismay. As I thought back on the stuff I saw he had written, I felt an arrow penetrate through me with each word that Kyoya described me as. Some of that stuff I told him, like how I never wanted to act smart around others, but the rest, did he come up with himself?

Finally realizing the fact that Kyoya had no interest in me whatsoever, I hung up my apron and double checked to make sure I completed my chores for the afternoon. Once everything was spotless and ready to be completely trashed again tomorrow, I shoulder my satchel and strode out of the kitchen.

"Okay, guys," I called out to them. "Everything's done, so I'm heading home now."

At least this time no one was going to stop me while walking all the way across the room to the door. For once I could just walk right on passed everyone and not even be noticed. Finally, I would be able to make it back to my apartment and not stay up late while finishing my homework.

Well, at least i thought I was home free...

"Johnson-san," came that all too familiar deep voice.

I sighed to myself, but then plastered on a smile. "Yes, senpai?"

"How much did you read?" Kyoya asked.

"Read what?" I answered with that smile still on my face.

The Shadow King adjusted his glasses. "My notebook. When I arrived at the table, my notebook was opened to a different page from when I left it."

"Okay... Okay, so I read some of the stuff in there."

"Which 'stuff'?"

I shrugged. "Just the budget notes and Cosplay Ideas."

"Anything else?"

It was obvious that he was onto me, and I knew, from experience, nothing got passed Kyoya. Well, white-lies were half true, half-lie, so technically what i said was partially true.

"No," I answered. The Shadow King stared down at me with the light reflecting off his spectacles. "Listen, senpai," I continued, not really wanting to deal with him at the moment, "I have a load of homework to finish, so if I don't get working on it immediately, you're going to have your chef napping on the job."

Then, Kyoya adjusted his glasses with his index finger. "Very well then, you're dismissed."

With that confirmation, I turned and walked out of the clubroom, ready to begin my homework. Of course, I thought over the work I needed to finish by tomorrow, my mind was drawing blanks. Darn it! I knew everything I would need before club hours began. Maybe after all the stuff Kyoya had written about me, I was too focused on that than my work. However, no matter how much I tried to concentrate on what our lessons were about, I couldn't get anything! Dang Ootori and his stupid tempting notebook...

Well, there was only one way to release my emotions...

**~ . . * . . ~**

I strode down the hallway to Music Room 2. Like always, the room was empty, waiting for me to fill it with my sorrowful tunes. Walking over to the piano, I set my bag down by the stool and sat down in front of the keys. Placing my hands on the correct spots on the ivory keys I began to play whatever sad tune popped in my mind. I wasn't up for singing at the moment for fear of breaking out into tears. This week just hadn't been my week.

"Johnson-san?" a velvety male voice spoke from the doorway.

Startled, I took my hands off the keys, afraid that I had been caught by a teacher, or the chairman. When I glanced over towards the open doorway, I found that it wasn't a teacher, thankfully; in fact, it wasn't even an adult. It was a tall, male student with shaggy, honey-blonde hair tied back into a Revolutionary-War-styled ponytail. It was difficult to distinguish his more detailed features in the moonlit room, but I knew that I had seen him somewhere before.

Suddenly, it hit me. "Takeda-senpai?"

He smiled and nodded.

"I thought most of the students left for home already," I spoke.

"I was on my way, but I heard the piano music from the hallway," he answered. "So I just popped by to check it out."

I sighed and glanced down at the black and white keys. "I usually come here to play whenever I can't express my emotions verbally."

"I see. So, you put them in song form?"

"Yes."

"Rough week?"

I nodded.

"Would you mind if I played with you?"

Surprised, I glanced over at him and hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to reply. Glancing down at the keys, I was afraid that the two of us would get caught. When, I looked back up at Kazuki, I found that he was leaning against the piano with a charmer's grin, kind of like the one Tamaki had.

"Two stars are brighter than one," he spoke.

I smiled. "All right."

After that, I adjusted my position at the piano, while Kazuki grabbed a nearby chair and a cello. My fingers hovered over the keys, afraid to press them down now that I had an audience with me. Well, Kazuki would be playing with me, but i was afraid that there were some songs that I knew and he didn't and vice versa. Maybe agreeing for him to play with me wasn't such a good idea.

"Johnson-san?" Kazuki's voice broke through the silence.

Snapping out of my reverie, I glanced over at the high school junior with a faint blush. "Sorry, senpai. I was... I was just thinking about... what song to play..."

"It's up to you," he answered. Then he smiled. "I'll follow along if I can."

I glanced around the room, still unsure; but after a while, I nodded me head and then faced the keys. As I thought over my rage and sorrow towards the Ootori boy, I went through a list of songs that would match. As soon as I made my selection, I placed my hands on the keys and released a deep breath blocking out everything around me. Before it even crossed my mind, I found myself automatically pressing each key in sequence, and humming the tune. Of course, that's when I had to let my voice out:

_Say you're sorry, that face of an angel_  
_Comes out just when you need it to_  
_As I paced back and forth all this time_  
_Cause I honestly believed in you_

_Holding on, the days drag on_  
_Stupid girl, I should have known_  
_I should have known_

_I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale_  
_I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet_  
_Lead her up the stairwell_

_This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town_  
_I was a dreamer before you went and let me down_  
_Now it's too late for you and your white horse, to come around_

As I continued to play, I could hear the sound of a cello in the background. Slightly glancing up from the keys, I noticed Kazuki perfectly harmonizing in sync with the song. I blushed at the thought that we were both actually playing together; but then I released it realizing that i had to start the next chorus.

_Maybe I was naive, got lost in your eyes_  
_And never really had a chance_  
_My mistake I didn't know to be in love_  
_You had to fight to have the upper hand._

_I had so many dreams about you and me_  
_Happy endings, now I know_

_I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale_  
_I'm not the one you'll sweep off her feet_  
_Lead her up the stairwell_

_This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town_  
_I was a dreamer before you went and let me down_  
_Now it's too late for you and your white horse, to come around_

_And there you are on your knees_  
_Begging for forgiveness, begging for me_  
_Just like I always wanted but I'm so sorry_

_Cause I'm not your princess, this ain't a fairytale_  
_I'm gonna find someone someday who might actually treat me well_  
_This is a big world, that was a small town_  
_There in my rearview mirror disappearing now_

_And its too late for you and your white horse_  
_Now its too late for you and your white horse..._  
_To catch me now_

I sat there gazing down at my hands, which remained on their spots on the keys. My mind was still lost in a daze as I thought back on earlier that afternoon; but then, then I noticed a hand hovering beside me. As I glanced over, I looked up to find the high school junior with that calm Tamaki-like smile on his face. It took me a while to realize what he was doing, and once the thought came to me, I blushed wondering why I was such an idiot. Placing my hand in his, Kazuki helped me stand up on me feet.

"Well..." I trailed off, trying to hide my blush. "Thanks, Takeda-senpai..."

"No problem, Johnson-san," he answered. "And, just call me Zuki."

I stared up at him rather surprised. We only met twice, and barely knew much about each other; but, now Kazuki was giving me his nickname? Well, if he wanted to establish a friendship, than I might as well accept it.

Smiling, I spoke: "All right, and just call me K.C."

The two of us laughed, and then I grabbed my bag and began to walk out of the room, but I was stopped by Kazuki: "K.C.?"

"Yes?" I answered, turning back to him.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" he inquired.

I stared up at him confused. "Don't you have a limo waiting to take you home?"

Kazuki waved his hand. "Nah, I typically walk wherever I go. It's better to enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise, you know."

I smiled and nodded in agreement; and after that the two of us walked out of the room and down the hall together. Neither of us talked to each other much, mainly because I was a little shy around Kazuki. He seemed like a really nice guy, a well-bred gentlemen. Of course, this school was full of well-bred boys; but, there was just something about Kazuki that made me act different around him than my classmates or the hosts.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as we reached my apartment, I stopped in the parking lot to thank Kazuki for offering to take me back. Afterwards, he continued down the sidewalk to his own mansion while i climbed the stairs to my apartment. As I gazed over the railing, I watched as Kazuki's figure disappeared down the sidewalk as he turned a corner. I smile as I gazed off into the direction that he disappeared. Like I said, my year here at Ouran was like a roller coaster, after my down with Kyoya, I finally found my up with Kazuki.

* * *

***GASP* What's this? Someone is fighting to steal K.C.'s heart?**

**K.C.:** Zuki's not stealing my heart, he's just replacing that dirty-rotten, son of a-

**KATHERINE CAROL JOHNSON! DO NOT USE LANGUAGE IN THE AUTHOR'S NOTES.**

**K.C.:** Well I wanted to say it to his face, but I didn't have the time... or privacy for that matter.

**Still, now that two boys have K.C.'s heart, who will she choose?**

**K.C.:** Okay, first things first, KyoyaxMe is definitely NOT HAPPENING! Besides, Zuki and I are just friends so far, of course... he is kinda cute.

**What about Kyoya? He's good-looking isn't he?**

**K.C.:** If you want him, you can have him.

**But he's engaged!**

**K.C.:** Uh, hello? You're the author... you can change it so that he's yours

**What about you?**

**K.C.:** No thank you. Not after what he wrote about me...

**B-But, he wrote more...** ***sighs* Well, she's not going to listen to me.**

**So, anyway... thanks for tuning in for another update you guys! And remember...**

**NO CHAPTER NEXT WEEK BECAUSE I'LL BE AT A CONVENTION! YIPPEE~!**

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_**SNEAK PEAK FOR CHAPTER 36...**_

_"All right, Haruhi," I called out as i exited the supermarket. "I've got the extra-"_

_As I glanced around I found that I was left all alone in the parking lot by the market. Haruhi and the twins were no where in sight. While still carrying the shopping bags, I raced around trying to locate them, and as soon as raced over to the sidewalk, I glanced over to find that the three of them had already began walking towards the apartment._

_"Hey, Haruhi! Meghan! Jenna!" I called out. "Wait up-"_

_"Target..."_

_"...Captured."_

_Huh? What the heck was going on? Before i could ask that question, I was swept off my feet by two people and hurried backwards away from the disappearing girls. My feet didn't even touch the ground as I was hauled and then brutally shoved into a car. It took a while for my mind to register what just happened since everything flew by in a blur._

_"Good to see you," a melodic female voice spoke behind me. Then, I felt a pair of long thin arms graze around me, as i was pulled against another figure. "It's nice to have another fair maiden around."_

_

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**Replies to Reviews from Last Chapter:**

**Aurora-16: Yeah, thanks! I was worried that she was a little OOC... I tried to give her enough lines in this chapter but, you know. Thanks. Yeah, Kimiko seriously needs a butt-whoop'n! DOUBLE TIME! Yep, I copied everyone's OCs in a notebook and wrote down ideas on how to fit them all in the story! Yayz! Cherry tarts! Which Alice and Wonderland was it? The cartoon, or the live one with Johnny Depp?**

**The Violet Queen: Yes, your OC made a second Debut in this chapter. I hope he was okay! **

**silverrain1312: Thanks! Phew, I thought I messed her up a little with too much studying... Nah, she's fine. I think I sent all of my viewers and reviews into the corner of woe, and the hamster home is full... Oh, well. Haha! Yeah, it's totally screwed up!**

**E.M. Megs: Was it really that predictable? PMS... Yeah, kind of ^.^**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Don't worry, I have a GIANT revenge planned for her... *evil smile* Thanks!**

**Toni Heart: I'm not sure how to get her exactly perfect, mainly since i don't watch 'victorious', but I've been researching on it and trying to perfect her personality! yayz Thanks!**

**i'mthenewCAKEPIG: Oh, totally... But, yes, no story is good without an antagonist! Ummm, let's see... They end in March, so it's about 3-4 months.**

**HaruhtaYari: Oh, that's fine ^.^ Thanks. Yes, there will be some drama... Seriously, was the engagement that predictable? Thanks for the OC submission!**

**AllyraMortlock: Yeah, I'm not sure whether to call them chapters or episodes... so I'll call them "CHAPISODES"! :3 Yes, I think she'd like all of that, especially the gift-wrapped Kimiko, although I like the idea of strapping the rotten ***** to a rocket and sending ehr to the moon... *evil smile*.**

**BunnyNinja: Thanks. Yes, he definitely needs it!**

**SargentAngua: Sowwy... ^.^ Yeah, most ouran fis I've read were stuffed with fluff, and I figured that viewers were kind of getting tired of all that... I wish I could update quickly, but i also like to torment you guys. With school starting tomorrow, I'll be a little busy... but, I'll try to update as much as i can.**

**MangaMagic: DUDE YOU MUST BE PSYCHIC! I was actually thinking about doing a chapter like that at some point! Of course, I'll think about it... thanks for the suggestion!**

**Witty-Little-RedHead: Sorry, I just want this fanfiction to be a little different from any regular Ouran Host Club fanfiction, you know? ^.^**


	36. Escape from St Lobelia

**OMG! The con last week was AWESOME! Todd is soooo funny! Michael is so nice and loves to talk! And Vic is just amazing! Sadly, he was too busy with his other fangirls and overwhelmed throughout the day that I couldn't get a hug from him... Oh, well. There will be other conventions...**

**Anywayz... I just want to say that I'm really really REALLY sorry I'm posting this late you guys. I've been sick since Monday with a sore throat and everything, and I couldn't really think straight... And I just started recovering on Friday...*sighs* Well, when it cleared up a bit, I decided to start working on this chapter. So, here it is you guys!**

**Hope you guys enjoy it!**

**OCs USED IN THIS CHAPTER:**

**Meghan Maple (**_**Moonlight's Shadow Warrior**_**)**

**Jenna Maple (**_**Sunrise's Light Warrior**_**)**

**Chiyo Sasaki (**_**ValueMyHeart**_**)**

**Yumi Kasajiro (**_**pres1111**_**)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything Host Club related. I also do not own the other OCs used and/or mentioned in this chapter. THEY rightfully belong to their owners (listed above)**

**Claimer: I own all of MY OWN OCs.**

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**~ Chapter 36 ~**

**Escape from St. Lobelia**

Stretching my arms behind my head, I inhaled the fresh, spring air; and then I sighed with pleasure as I crossed my arms behind my head while continuing my stroll down the sidewalk with a smile that was impossible to erase. The sun's warm, gentle rays caressed my skin, and reflected off my charm bracelet. I hummed a little tune as I walked beside Haruhi without a care in the world.

"Isn't springtime wonderful, Haruhi?" I asked the casually dressed brunette girl beside me. "The days are so nice that you just can't stay cooped up indoors."

Haruhi chuckled weakly. "You sound like Tamaki-senpai."

"So?" I asked with a smile. "Besides, what's there _not_ to love? The trees are starting to grow fresh, green leaves, the cherry blossoms are starting to bud their little pink blossoms, and the weather is just perfect! Not too warm, and not to chilly either."

"Poetic much?"

Lowering my arms, I shrugged. "I'm just an outdoors person."

Haruhi only sighed, and then the two of us continued our stroll to the supermarket. It was the perfect Sunday afternoon, and I decided to go with Haruhi to help her with her shopping. I was still fed up with Kyoya last week for writing such rotten things about me in that stupid little, black notebook of his. It was difficult to focus through school, as well as study, so Haruhi offered to tutor me on most of the stuff that didn't quite register with my mind. In the end, I stayed over at her apartment, and now here I was with her, traveling to the grocery store.

"Say, K.C.?" Haruhi asked, breaking the silence between us.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"I know that it's probably none of my business," the female host began, "but what's going on between you and Kyoya-senpai? I mean, I thought for sure that you guys had already made up, but now you're both back at each other's throats."

I scoffed. "That no-good Ootori's just driving me up the wall again. But," I added, waving my hand dismissively, "I'm kind of over him already."

Haruhi tilted her head, rather interested. "Over him? Since when were you even 'into him'?"

I froze realizing the words that apparently slipped off my tongue. Geez, for an aspiring lawyer, Haruhi sure knew how to pick out key words to use her logic against her opponent. With that kind of skill, she'd be, without a doubt, a great lawyer like her mother. Of course, like any typical opponent in court, I had to find a loophole.

"Uh... well, um..." I began lamely. "What I mean be 'over him'... What I'm trying to say is... uh..."

Yeah. This wasn't working out too well for me.

I released a deep breath. "We just became friends, all right. And that's all we'll ever be."

"When did you guys become friends?" Haruhi inquired.

"Back when the hosts dragged us to Koriyama," I answered simply.

"How can you be over him, if you two were just friends?" the female host pressed on.

I held my breath, as I glanced away from her. Crap! She was onto me! Well, like I said. Haruhi was going to be one heck of a lawyer, a stonewall lawyer at that. Nothing was going to get passed her.

Admitting defeat, I sighed. "All right, all right... So, I was kind of crushing on Kyo -er, I mean- Ootori-senpai."

"Have you told him?" Haruhi asked.

"Weeeeeeelllllll... kind of..." I answered.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing. He was asleep."

"I don't think that really counts, K.C."

"It does so! I admitted my feelings to him."

Haruhi sighed. "Still, Kyoya-senpai has to know in order for it to be official."

I hung my head somewhat as I thought over it. Just when I had gotten over the fact that he was engaged. If I had told him sooner, he probably wouldn't have accepted the engagement. Of course, now my feelings for the Ootori boy didn't mean anything.

"It won't make much of a difference now," I answered.

"Huh? Oh, right, he's engaged," Haruhi answered.

Surprised, I glanced over at her. "You knew?"

The female host nodded. "Everyone in the club's known about it since the last week of the second semester."

I flinched at the thought. So, I was the last one to find out? _Why didn't any of them say anything!_ I screamed in my mind. _GAH! Now, I know how Tamaki felt when he was the last one to find out that Haruhi was a girl._ Yeah, Haruhi told me _that _story, which was humorous at first; but now that I was experiencing the situation, I felt like I could storm the city of Tokyo like the raging Godzilla.

Trying my hardest to contain my frustration, I faced down the sidewalk. "Oh, looks like we've arrived." Then I turned to Haruhi with a forced, and twitching, smile. "What do we need to get?"

The female host, oblivious to my somewhat hidden irritation, dug out a folded piece of paper from her pocket. "Um... let's see," she mused scanning over the handwriting. "First thing is-"

"Hey, Haruhi!" two voices chimed in unison. "Didn't expect _you _to be here!"

The two of us glanced up to find two, identical looking girls, rushing up to us from down the sidewalk. "Twins" was the first word that came to my mind. They both shared long, chocolate brown hair, except one girl had bronze tips, and identical pairs of deep blue eyes. They were exactly the same height and shared matching slim bodies. Despite the physical appearance, however, the two girls wore different color outfits.

One of the twins wore a red T-shirt and black short-shorts, while her twin wore a pink T-shirt and purple short-shorts. Both girls wore the same type of tennis-shoes; however, one girl wore black shoes with red laces, while her twin owned a pair of purple tennis-shoes with pink laces.

"Oh, hey, Meghan," Haruhi spoke as the two girls approached us. "Hey, Jenna. I guess you guys are going grocery shopping as well?"

"Yeah," the twin with the pink shirt spoke cheerfully, "but when we noticed you, Meg and I decided that we should all shop together in groupies!"

"Great..." Haruhi muttered sarcastically.

"So, Haruhi," the twin with the pink shirt, who I presumed was Jenna, piped up. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh, right," Haruhi spoke. Then she smiled and gestured to me. "Meghan, Jenna, this is Katherine." Then, she faced me and gestured to the two girls. "Katherine, this is Meghan and Jenna."

"Pleased to meet you both," I spoke, bowing slightly at the waist. "So, how do you two know Haruhi?"

"We're in the same class," Meghan spoke rather flatly.

Jenna nodded, confirming her sister. "We're also apartment neighbors!"

I smiled, and then I turned to Haruhi. "Guess you have twins around you all the time."

The female host groaned at the thought. Even though it wasn't a school day, I could tell that Haruhi was reminded of the Hitachiin brothers, and the thought of two twins probably made her feel like she wished to move to the moon. Well, I didn't think that the brothers were all that bad (annoying, but not _that_ bad); and these two sisters seemed to be all right.

From what I could tell, these twin sisters weren't anything like the Hitachiin brothers. It seemed that Jenna did most of the talking while her sister lay back and only nodded every once in a while. So, that would eliminate the whole "finishing-each-other's-sentences" thing, as well as talking in perfect unison. Well, not every pair of twins had the ability to do the psychic/telekinetic twin stuff.

Suddenly, Jenna grabbed Haruhi's arm and began dragging her towards the entrance of the store. "Come on, Haruhi. Let's get shopping!"

Meghan and I only watched as the bubbly brunette hauled the female host away from us and into through the automatic, sliding doors for the entrance. Okay. Maybe the female twins weren't like the Hitachiin brothers, but Jenna definitely reminded me of Tamaki with his commoner-crazed personality. If this was anime, and not real life, the both of us would have huge sweat-drops rolling down the back of our heads.

"Well, uh..." I stammered, as I glanced over at Meghan. "She's rather... perky..."

Meghan only sighed. "You get used to it after a while."

After that, she strode through the parking lot and into the supermarket to locate her sister and Haruhi in the maze of aisles and possible crow of people with shopping baskets and carts. I sighed as soon as the automatic doors slid to a close. If Jenna acted somewhat like Tamaki, then Meghan reacted like Kyoya would around him.

I clenched my hand at the thought of the Ootori boy, as images and memories of the weeks passed flowed into my mind; however, I shook them off and entered the supermarket.

**~ . . * . . ~**

When I first entered the store, I thought for sure that we would gather everything Haruhi needed on the list and zip out of there as soon as we checked out; but no, Jenna was popping from aisle to aisle, mainly focused on the cereal or anyone licensed product with a cartoon character on it. For example:

"Ooooh! Meghan! Meghan! Lookie! Lookie!" Jenna exclaimed, pointing at a cereal box on the shelf. "This one's got a puppy on it!"

"We have cereal back at the apartment, Jen," Meghan replied bluntly.

"But none of _those_ have a puppy on it!" her sister whined.

"No, Jenna."

"But, whhyyyyyy?"

"Because I said so."

Jenna's eyes grew big and wobbly as they sparkled with fresh tears, but then she grabbed the box so that the picture was facing her sister. "But, how could you say no to a cute little puppy?"

Meghan sighed. "It's not a real dog, Jen. It's just a merchandizing mascot used to draw more customers in to buying their products."

Her younger sister's eyes began to well up as they locked eyes. Haruhi and I stared at the two sisters, who continued their stare-off; until Meghan sighed and gave in to her younger twin's act.

"This brand isn't going to be discontinued," she spoke. "So, when you finish a box of cereal, I'll buy you another one."

"One with a puppy on it?" Jenna asked hopefully, now with big sparkly eyes.

"Yes," Meghan answered. "One with a puppy on it."

Unable to contain her excitement, Jenna threw the box in the air, where her sister reacted by catching it before it had the chance to burst open or dent upon contacting with the tiled flooring. Meghan growled at her sister, who was twirling around happily as she cheered.

"Does this happen on a regular basis?" I asked Haruhi.

The female host sighed. "Not really. But, Jenna does have a thing for animals, both of them do; of course, obviously, Jenna is more open about it. Plus, she likes attention."

"I can see that," I answered, watching Meghan set the box back on the shelf and then walking with her sister back over to us.

As soon as we knew that Jenna had simmered down from her hyperactive state, the four of us continued on through the aisles checking and collecting everything that was needed on our list. Of course, Meghan kept an eye on her younger sister in case she snuck something off the shelf and hid it in Haruhi's basket. As soon as the female host double checked, making sure that she had everything she needed, and nothing she didn't need, we headed towards the check out and helped Haruhi carry the bags.

The twins took both of Haruhi's bag, saying that she needed a break from carrying anything, mainly because she was lugging around the basket on her arm. I double checked to make sure that there weren't any more. There was one left, so I pulled it off the hook and began walking out of the store, making sure that this was the right bag. When I knew for sure it was, I sighed with relief, and then I stepped out into the sunlight beaming down on the parking lot.

"All right, Haruhi," I called out as the automatic doors slide closed behind me. "I've got the extra-"

As I glanced around, I realized that I was left all alone in the parking lot by the market. Haruhi and the twins were nowhere in sight. _You have got to be kidding me!_ I thought to myself. _They actually ditched me? _I sighed at the thought. Well, Jenna and Meghan were busy talking Haruhi's ear off at the register, and they were most likely still in their conversation even now. Of course, this wasn't the first time I had been left behind.

While still carrying the shopping bag, I raced around trying to locate them, and as soon as dashed over to the sidewalk, I glanced over to find that the three of them had already began walking towards the apartment building. I sighed with relief glad that they hadn't traveled too far off. While still supporting the grocery bag with one hand, and carrying it with the other, I dart after the three girls.

"Hey, Haruhi! Meghan! Jenna!" I called out. "Wait up-"

"Target..."

"...Captured."

Huh? What the heck was going on? Before I could ask that question, I was swept off my feet by two people and hurried backwards away from the disappearing girls. The bag I was carrying slipped out of my hands from the sudden jerk, and it landed on the concrete. Well, it was a good thing I wasn't carrying the eggs! Of course, what was more important now was who was kidnapping me and where were they taking me. My feet didn't even touch the ground as I was hauled in the opposite direction of Haruhi, Meghan, and Jenna.

When I glanced over my shoulder at them, all I could make out was swishing brown hair, one trimmed short and one left long and wavy. When I looked down, I noticed that they both wore identical red skirts, familiar looking skirts in fact. Okay, well they were girls for sure... or transvestites, but I doubted that Haruhi's dad and his companions would kidnap me for no reason.

Suddenly, before I could ask anything, the two girls brutally shoved me into a car, and I landed on my back on the floor. It took a while for my mind to register what just happened since everything flew by in a blur. The inside of the vehicle was dark, mainly because of the tinted windows. Groaning, I groped around for he seat; and as soon as I found it, I pulled myself up and took a seat and ran my hand through my bangs. I take back what I said about this day being perfect.

"Good to see you," a melodic female voice spoke behind me. I nearly jumped, but was stopped when I felt a pair of long thin arms graze around my abdomen, and then I was pulled against the figure behind me. "It's nice to have another fair maiden around."

Okay, I heard that voice from somewhere... but, I only heard it once. Where though? As I pondered over the people I have met and/or seen, the door behind me opened allowing light to stream into the benighted vehicle. I turned around to find the two girls, who snatched me up and dragged me away from Haruhi, climb into the car.

"All set, Benibara-sama?" one of the girls asked.

"All systems are go," the girl behind me answered.

As if on cue, the vehicle jerked to a start and began rolling down the road. I glanced over at my captors, scanning them over a few times. I was sure that I had seen them from somewhere. Suddenly, the stroke of a hand on the side of my face broke through my thoughts, sending chills down my skin; and to top it all off, the girl behind me pressed her head against mine with her lips hovering mere inches above my ear.

"Don't worry, my fair lady," she whispered gently. "We'll make sure you feel welcome in your castle."

I swallowed hard as I once again thought over what in the world was going to happen to me. And I thought that the club got me into crazy situation; but no, it seemed that I also got myself into some as well.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Sooooo..." I trailed off, gazing around the vast, dressing rooms.

When the vehicle arrive at our destination, the three girls dragged me into a giant, cathedral-like building. I recognized the establishment as St. Lobelia Girls' Academy; but... why in the world was I being brought here? It took a while to register the situation as the those girls, (the ones who snatched me first), dragged me down the halls, following their "leader"; as soon as we approached the dressing rooms and stood in front of my captors, I realized who I was dealing with.

"The Zuka Club, I presume?" I inquired, blandly.

The three nodded, and then, one by one, the girls introduced themselves; but not in a normal way, I must say...

The taller girl with the short, boyish style hair clapped her hands making the lights dim, and soon, the spotlight was focused on only her. She struck a dramatic pose. "Benio Amakusa. 3rd year."

Then, another spotlight zapped to life, shining down on the girl with long, wavy, light brown hair, while she also struck a pose. "Chizuru Maihara. 3rd year."

Finally, a third spotlight flickered on casting its glow on the last Zuka Club member, while she also struck a pose. "Hinako Tsuwabuki. 2nd year."

"And together we are..." they spoke at once. Then, they grabbed their uniforms and tore them off revealing Victorian styled dresses with puffy scarves draped around their necks. (Of course, Benio wore a fancy Englishman suit). "The Zuka Club!"

With that, colorful theater lights appeared behind them. Okay. First off, how in the world did they fit those outfits underneath the ones they were wearing moments ago? And, second, since when did the room have built-in lights everywhere? Either these girls had the talent of squezing huge, frilly costumes under typical sailor uniforms; or they just had super sonic speed to get dressed. And I thought the Host Club was crazy... but _this_ was _insane_!

"Yeah...okay..." I trailed off. "So, why am I here again?"

"Ever since the Performing Arts Festival," Chizuru began as the three of them strode up to me, "we were flattered that Ouran Academy would create a club inspired by ours!"

"So," Hinako added, "since Benibara-sama and Chizuru will be graduating this year, we need someone to help carry on the Zuka Club legacy!"

"We already gathered two willing and talented young ladies," Chizuru continued. "Sadly, there was not a soul on campus to complete the trio. So, we decided that we'd accept the best performance of Ouran's Stellar Club."

"That's when we found you, my darling songbird," Benio added. Then she grabbed me and held me close, gazing adoringly down into my eyes. "The three of us were moved to tears by your performance. Such grace! Such emotion you put into your talent!" Then, the club president, dipped me and gave me a grin before setting me back on my feet and kneeling down in front of my while holding my hand. "That was when we knew that the Lord had sent us a sign, sent us an angel to help continue the legacy of the Zuka Club. So, my fair lady," Benio added, gazing hopefully up at me. "We would be honored for a talented young maiden to join the Zuka Club."

With that, she bent her head down and planted a kiss on the back of my hand. Okay, not only was I disturbed, I was freaking out! If I joined the Zuka Club, I wouldn't be able to attend Ouran Academy, more importantly, pay off my debt I own Kyoya. I certainly did _not_ want to join a bunch of lesbians, or else... I swallowed hard at the thought. Actually... I really didn't want to think about the consequences right now... I still had my dignity _and_ my virginity.

"I appreciate the offer, senpai," I answered.

"Please, call me Benibara," Benio spoke, smiling up at me.

"Uh, okay then," I stammered. "I appreciate your offer, Benibara, but... why me?"

"Because you're not only talented," Benio spoke, standing up. "You're the spitting image of an angel."

_How would you even know what an angel looks like?_ I pondered.

Suddenly, I felt myself being yanked out of the Zuka Club leader's hand and then shoved down in a chair. Chizuru lifted my leg up and rolled my pant leg up to reveal my shaved leg. She stroked her gentle hand up and down it and then rubbed ehr face again. Now, I just wanted to kick her in the face and escape this homo-infested campus.

"You're right Benibara-sama," Chizuru spoke. "Her skin is simply flawless! She takes such good care of it!"

Then, I felt the scrungie slipped out from my hair as long fingers combed through my locks.

"And her hair is so healthy and soft!" Hinako cooed as she continued to run her fingers through my hair.

Yeah, if this were anime a giant sweatdrop would be rolling down my head about now. Now, I was both deeply disturbed **and** freaked out all at once. It was just a little too weird to have these theater-crazed girls coming onto me like metal to a magnet. Right now, all I wanted to do was quickly make my escape and get the heck out of the school!

"Um, could you guys stop, please?" I began. "I feel a little awkward."

"What's there to be ashamed of, my darling?" Benio inquired, pulling me to my feet. "You're the image of perfection!"

"Not really," I spoke. "I'm only human. I have flaws just like you and everyone else. Now, back to the whole Zuka Club legacy thing," I began, then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I can't join you guys."

The three girls stared at my stunned. "Why not?"

"Well, uh," I stammered, trying to think of an explanation that would convince them as well as get me out of this crazy school quickly. "First of all I'm not really part of the Stellar Club."

"Then why were you at the Performing Arts Festival?" Chizuru inquired.

"Well, my... friend was, -er, is- part of the Stellar Club," I lied. "So, I just wanted to show my support. Of course, as you well know, I was dragged back stage to take one of the girl's place."

"Is there any other reason you are unable to join?" Benio inquired skeptically.

"Yes," I answered. "You see, I really need to finish up my year at Ouran. Clubs and activities are fun and all, but you won't really get anywhere without a proper education, you know. Besides," I muttered to myself. "There's the Host Club, and-"

"No!" Benio cried out. "I will not allow such a beautiful, talented young maiden be hypnotized by such degrading womanizers as that wretched Host Club!"

"They're not really 'womanizers'," I spoke. "And, I actually just help them out and stuff."

"Oh dear! They force you to be their slave?" Chizuru and Hinako cried as the three of them, placed a hand to their forehead as if they were going to faint.

"Uh... That's not what I said-"

"That's it!" Benio cried. "We must register your transfer papers at once! We can't allow those men to use you in such an inhuman way!"

_Aren't you guys kind of doing the same thing with me?_ I pondered.

There was definitely some rivalry going on between the Host Club and the Zuka Club. The way Benio said "men" in a distasteful way obviously meant that she didn't like the Host Club that much, which would explain why these girls attempted (and failed) to make Haruhi join their group.

"Look," I spoke, irritated. "I don't want to cause you three any trouble, so, if you don't mind, I'm just going to head back home and get ready for school tomorrow... at Ouran."

With that, I turned around to leave and made my way towards the door. After moments of silence, I thought for sure that I would be able to make it out of this school; of course, I thought wrong. Right before I could step out into the hallway, Chizuru and Hinako slid in front of the door, blocking the way out. Okay, now I was really starting to get fed up with these girls. It was starting to get late, and I needed to get back home and gather everything I would need for school the next day.

"Please. Move." I spoke through gritted teeth.

"Sorry to disappoint you, my dear," Benio spoke from where she formerly stood. "But, we can't allow you to leave. We need you to continue the legacy of the Zuka Club."

I sighed, and turned to her with a scowl. "I already told you: I don't want to join."

A sly smirk played on Benio's lips. "It wasn't an offer, my dear. You're going to transfer from Ouran and become part of the Zuka Club whether you want to or not."

After that, she snapped her fingers, and then Hinako and Chizuru grabbed my arms. I sighed as my annoyance level began to heat up. I knew that I had been a "lady" for these past couple of months; but I was in a feminist area, so they weren't fond of the sexist rules, especially how girls couldn't fight. A smirk played on my lips as I glanced up at the president of the club.

"I really didn't want to do this..." I spoke.

Then, I tore one arm out from Chizuru's grasp, and then quickly slung Hinako around and slammed her into the other girl. I grinned with amusement as I watched both girls stumble as they tried to pull themselves off the neatly polished floor. Now was my chance. Without a moment to lose, I whirled around to race for the door, but then my arms were restrained by my side as Benio's arms wrapped around my body.

"Now, now," she chided. "A lady mustn't ruin her perfect doll-like body."

"Sorry, sister," I answered.

With that, I slammed my heel down on her foot. Benio reacted by relaxing her grip on my somewhat, and then I jabbed my elbow into her stomach. After that, I burst through her arms and raced towards the door. Suddenly, Chizuru and Hinako slid in front of the door, barricading it; however, that didn't stop me. Timing my escape perfectly, I dropped down to the floor with my leg extended, and slid through the gap between their legs like a baseball player sliding into home base.

As soon as I made it into the hallway, I scrambled to my feet and darted down the hallway with Benio screaming: "After her!"

_Sorry guys,_ I thought with a smirk as I raced around random corners,_ You aren't going to take me alive!_

Of course, that was when I realized that I had absolutely no idea where I was going, or where the exit was for that matter. I couldn't stop though. The three girls' footsteps were thundering behind me, and they sounded like they were getting closer! I thought for a few moments as I searched around, and then realization dawned on me. Quickly sliding to a halt in front of a door, I flung it open, stepped inside, and then slammed it behind me.

I pressed my ear against it as I listened Benio giving the orders to the other two girls to split up and meet back somewhere if they couldn't find me. As soon as their footsteps echoed down the hall until they disappeared, I smirked.

"Excuse me?" a voice spoke from behind me.

Startled, I whirled around to find a girl around my height with long, brown hair and blue eyes. She was wearing a white leotard and matching ballet slippers.

"Ah! Gomen nasai!" I exclaimed. "I had no idea anyone was in here, or at this school for that matter."

"It's all right," she answered with a smile. "On the run from the Zuka Club?"

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked.

"Ever since Benio announced that after her graduation, the Zuka Club would disband," she began, "they've been collecting girls with both talent and beauty, whether the girls wanted to or not. Of course, 95 percent of this school's population practically worships the club."

"I kinda of guess that," I answered.

"Don't worry," the girl spoke with a smile. "You're not the only girl I've come across wanted to escape here."

I stared at the girl bewildered. She wasn't going to give me away to the Zuka Club? Thank goodness! I wouldn't know what to do if I was back in the hands of those crazy, theater lesbians. I was disturbed enough already.

"Really? Thanks..." I trailed off realizing that i didn't ask for her name.

The girl only smiled. "Chiyo Sasaki."

I smiled back. "Katherine Johnson."

Then, Chiyo gestured for me to follow her over to a large window, which she unlocked and pushed open. I gazed out the 2nd story window at the perfect view of a lush garden down below and the sight of the city of Tokyo off in the distance, and Ouran Academy off to the far right. Boy, if I wasn't so desperate getting out of this joint, I'd gladly pull up a chair and sketch the scene! It sure was beautiful.

"You see the ivy wall here?" Chiyo spoke gesturing to a wall of ivy right beside the window. "If you can make it down and work your way through the garden, you'll soon find yourself at the front gate. After that, you're home free."

I scanned the garden below, planning the quickest possible escape route, and then I gazed up at the sky. Sunset. It was going to be dark soon if I didn't hurry and make it out of here quickly. Knowing that there was no time to lose, I climbed onto the window sill, and inched my way over to the thick lattice wall with ivy coiled around it. I swallowed hard, afraid to look down, but as soon as I swung my body around, I set a firm grasp on the lattice.

Before scaling downward, I glanced back up at Chiyo and smiled. "Thanks again, Sasaki-san."

"No problem," she answered.

She watched as I carefully made my way down the ivy covered lattice; and as soon as my feet were set on the lush green grass, I sighed with relief glad that the worst part of my escape was over. I glanced up at the second story window and waved to Chiyo, who waved back. Then, I turned and raced into the garden. I didn't have much time because as soon as night would roll in, it would be more difficult to locate the exit.

**~ . . * . . ~**

It had been about twenty minutes, and the sun had already disappeared behind the hills. Some of its light barely illuminated what was left of the partly cloudy sky, which was now filled with twinkling stars. Sadly, I had passed by the exact same statue five times already. Even when there was the last bit of sunlight, I was still able to get myself hopelessly lost. Coming to a halt by the statue, I sighed and leaned against it.

"What better way to get lost than to get lost at night time?" I mused.

"But that's the fun part!" a voice cheered from nearby.

I jumped at the sudden voice, and then I glanced around looking for the owner of the voice. No movement, and no figure lurked nearby. Everything was left in a still silence. I eyed the garden skeptically, but then I turned around to head in a different direction, when a figure popped up in front of me.

"Boo!" she shouted.

Upon being startled yet again, I stumbled and fell backwards landing on my rear. The figure only giggled, and then offered a hand to help me up. Despite the fact that she was the one who scared me, I accepted her offer and stood up on my feet, where I took a good look at the girl who startled me. She stood around my height, and her long, dark brown hair fell into spiraled curls by her mid-back. Her copper brown eyes sparkled in the faint moonlight along with a pair of turnip earrings.

"Sorry about that," she spoke. "It's just that I'm used to playing hide-and-seek with the rest of the club."

"Hide-and-seek?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

The girl nodded. "I'm Yumi Kasajiro. President of the Hide-and-Seek Club."

"A hide-and-seek club, huh," I repeated. "Wow, that's an unusual idea for a club."

"And it's original!" Yumi cheered. "Yay for originality!"

"Um, yeah," I spoke. "Now listen, Kasajiro-san, I'm kind of on the run from the Zuka Club."

"That's a first," she spoke. "All the other girls I know are practically in love with the club."

"So I've heard," I answered. "But, anyway, could you help me get out of this place."

Yumi smiled. "Of course."

With that the turned around and glanced in all directions pointing a finger at each one as she mumbled "eenie-meenie-minie-moe", until she picked a direction and then began skipping through the garden. This girl was crazy, hyper, and random, all in one, but at least I've met two girls in this school who actually seem straight. Without hesitation, I followed after the female, energizer bunny as we turned a few corners. Most of the time, Yumi was goofing off and pretending to be a ninja as she ducked behind things and swiftly making her way to the next thing to duck behind.

_Oh, Lord,_ I pleaded in my mind. _Please, let us be near the exit soon..._

Thankfully my prayers were answered, and Yumi and I soon arrived at the wrought iron gate of St. Lobelia Academy. Like with Chiyo, I thanked her for assisting me in escaping this death trap of a school, and then we said or good-byes, and I watched as she, still pretending to be a ninja, rushed through the garden and disappeared without a trace. I sighed glad that I was finally one step closer to freedom.

Of course, this was just the calm before the storm...

As soon as I set my hands on the gate to climb out, two pairs of arms grasped around each one of mine; while a voice spoke from the darkness: "Where do you think you're going, my little songbird?"

I growled at the pet name as a hand lifted up my chin until my eyes met the president of the Zuka Club's eyes. She smirked, but I only returned her glance with a scowl. Just when I thought that I had actually had the chance of escaping this God-forsaken campus. I thought for sure that they weren't tailing me when I climbed down that ivy wall. Of course, I was wandering around the garden for quite some time; plus, this school no doubt had security cameras planted in every possible corner.

Before I could say, or do anything else, A small figure leapt into the air and knocked Benio to the side. Chizuru and Hinako quickly released me, and hurried over to their fallen leader. I stared at the three of them confused, and then I glanced around wondering who, or what, knocked Benio over.

"Kidnapping my friends is a no-no!" a young boyish voice cried out in the night.

_Hunny-senpai?_ I inquired.

Before I even had the chance to look, I was swept off my feet and carried away from the Zuka Club. I gazed up at my rescuer, which was, at first, difficult to distinguish in the moonlight, but his voice was easy to decipher.

"You all right?" his deep voice reverberated through his throat.

My face flushed a deep red, but I smiled. "Yeah. Thanks, Mori-senpai."

Even thought it was dark outside, I could see the ghost of a smile playing on his lips. After that, the stoic host set me down on my feet while I watched as the Hitachiin brothers, as well as Meghan and Jenna bind the Zuka Club in layers of rope before tying the ends together in a bow.

"K.C.-chan!" Hunny's little voice cried out.

I smiled as the little blonde host glomped me, and we ended up laughing along together. After a while, I set him down on his feet, and then we were joined by Haruhi and both sets of twins.

"I was so worried about you, K.C.-chan!" Hunny spoke. "When Haru-chan called and said you were kidnapped by that mean Zuka Club, Tama-chan gathered everyone up to come rescue you!"

"Well, at least you knew I disappeared," I spoke, glancing over at Haruhi, who only smiled in return.

"K.C.! My beloved daughter!" Tamaki squeal echoed through the courtyard.

_And just when I thought this reunion was going to have a happy ending..._

At that moment, I was trapped in one of Tamaki's typical bear-hugs, gasping for air as his scrawny arms practically crushed my rib. Sure, I was glad to see the hosts and know that I was safe with them; but seriously, Tamaki had to tone down the hugs...

"Daddy was so worried!" Tamaki cried.

"I'm fine 'Dad'," I spoke, just to humor him. "Now can you let me go...? I can't... breathe..."

The blonde spaz did as bidden, and I placed my hands on my knees taking slow, deep breaths. Tamaki may have not broken my ribs, but my just might have bruised some... As soon as I steadied my breathing, I glanced over at the Zuka Club, who were now sitting on the ground.

"Release us now!" Benio cried, while she and her lackeys squirmed to break free.

"I'm afraid we can't do that," Kyoya's cool voice broke the sound of the struggling Zuka Club.

All of our attention was turned towards the Ootori boy as he stepped out of the shadows with that grin on his face.

"What do you mean 'you can't do that'?" Benio demanded.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Katherine's scholarship papers are issued for only Ouran, so even if she changed schools with a mere transfer paper, she would still have to pay to rend a uniform, dorm room, books and everything else. Money is one of the things she lacks while attending either schools."

"Gee, senpai, thanks for mentioning _that_..." I mumbled.

Benio stared up at Kyoya, shock etched on her face, and then she growled and snapped her head towards me. "This isn't over! Mark my words, you will become part of the Zuka Club someday! I'll do whatever it takes!"

"Yeah, yeah," both sets of twins sneered waving a hand dismissively. "You keep telling yourself that."

All three girls of the Zuka Club scowled, and then they stood up and, with much difficulty, shuffled through the garden, knocking over a few flower pots along the way. As soon as they disappeared around a corner, I sighed glad that they were finally out of my hair. Now, I could return home and pass out on my bed. After what I went through this afternoon, I was exhausted!

"Thanks for showing up you guys," I spoke, turning to them. "Of course, you wouldn't have come if it hadn't been for Haruhi."

"We'd show up either way," Kyoya spoke, striding up behind me.

I turned to him and smiled. "Well, I'm glad you all did. I thought for sure I'd be dressed in drag practicing every hour for some upcoming play."

"It was nothing really," Kyoya answered. "After all, where else could we find a personal chef?"

There goes the moment. Shattered like stained glass that had been destroyed by a baseball flying straight through it. Why did it always seem that when I got close to seeing a side of Kyoya I never saw, he goes back to being the bad guy? Well, he was after all. Nothing but a no-good, rotten, businessman. That's all I've ever known, and seen, him as, so that was all he was ever going to be.

I scowled, and folded my arms across my chest. "Why is it that everything has to come back to the whole 'personal chef' thing?"

"Because where else would I get the money for your debt?" the Shadow King inquired.

With that, he whirled around on his heel directing everyone back through the limos. I watched as the hosts, plus Meghan and Jenna, filed out the gate, which Kyoya opened; however, I stay behind as I glare at him.

"Selfish, heartless, bastard..." I mumbled.

At that moment, everyone froze and turned towards me, including Kyoya, with either looks of confusion or shock etched on their faces. I swallow hard as I gazed around at everyone realizing that I had said that loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Excuse me?" Kyoya inquired.

I regained my composure, and continued to scowl up at the Shadow King. "You heard me, and that's all you are. You're a worm, Ootori. A heartless worm. A cold, selfish, heartless worm! Human beings have a thing called emotion, which you obviously don't have because you've practically gotten rid of yours! You don't care about anyone but yourself! And you'll only do what you can for personal gain, especially personal gain of your family's stupid company! Everyone else is just scum on the earth to you, just people you can use! Are we not your friends? Or are we just your tools, Kyoya?"

"Of course we're all friends, K.C.," Tamaki stammered nervously, not wanting to add more fuel to the fire.

"Buzz off pea-brain!" I snapped, glaring daggers in his direction. "He used you too!"

Tamaki's eyes widened with shock as he glanced from between the both of us.

"Katherine," Kyoya hissed warningly as his piercing glare never left me.

"What? Didn't think I knew?" I growled, turning my attention towards him. "It's in your stupid little black notebook. Yes, I read what you wrote about everyone, senpai." I sighed and glanced down at the ground. "You used everyone to get to their parents to make business with their companies. Hell," I added, looking back up at him with eyes beginning to fill up with tears. "You even used your own best friend! You're nothing but a heartless monster, Kyoya!"

A dead silence fell among the group, as everyone looked from one another. My gazed stayed glued to the Shadow King's, while he did the same to mine. It was a mere stare-off between just the two of us, while everyone else stood around waiting for something to happen. After what felt like hours, the Shadow King averted his gaze and adjusted his glasses.

"Kyoya...?" Tamaki asked warily.

He didn't answer. Instead, with a hand shoved in his pocket, he turned around on his heel and strode through the gate towards one of the parked limos out in the parking lot. I glared at his back while he traveled to his limousine alone, while everyone one else stared as the black door slammed closed. The vehicle came alive, and then began rolling out of the school's parking lot. I glared at Kyoya's limo until it disappeared down the highway, but never turned my gaze back to the group.

"K.C.?" Haruhi's voice broke through the silence as her hand rested on my shoulder.

Growling, I shrugged her off and walked towards the remaining limos. I didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment as I stormed into the parking lot. Suddenly I came to a halt as I gazed around. It was a good hour from Lobelia back to the apartments by car, and I sure didn't want to walk all the way back if it took longer; plus, it was dark out.

I groaned and turned back to the group, who was still rooted in their place. "So, who's taking me home?"

* * *

***long whistle* Daaaaaannnnnggg... K.C.'s sure knows how to tell people off.**

**K.C.:** That jerk deserved it...

**Hey, come on people can change.**

**K.C.:** Kyoya's not a person... he's not even human...

***sighs* Okay, well, hope you guys enjoyed it! Rate and review!**

**

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**

_**Sneak Peak for Chapter 37...**_

_I hoisted the box of props and made my way out of the clubroom. Like always, I was glad that my work at the club was finally finished, of course, it was only Tuesday, so I had a while before the weekend, where I could relax, watch some television, draw, work on my scrapbook... I sighed thinking of all the things I could do. The week really hand't been my week._

_Just like back during the second sememster, Kyoya and I were cold towards each other. I didn't regreat what I told him back during the night at Lobelia, but God knows he deserved to her it! Forget even confessing my feelings to him! He wouldn't even give a care in the world, unless he could use me like everyone else. I scoffed at the thought. He probably had his own little nifty tool box where he had everyone in it._

_As soon as I packed the box in the storage closet, I turned around and began making my way to the front entrance. All I wanted to do was go home and stretch out my aching muscles before working my brain until midnight with loads of homework._

_"K.C.!" a voice cried out, breaking my thoughts_

_Curious, I stopped and turned to the voice only to fin that it was Kazuki rushing down the hall towards me. It had been three weeks since Kazuki and I played together in Music Room 2, and we would pass by each other in the halls and chat; of course, most of the time, Zuki would walk me to my next class. He was like any other typical gentleman in this aristocratic school; but, it was always so nice of him to offer._

_"Hey, Zuki," I spoke as he approached me._

_"Hey, listen, K.C.," he spoke. "I was wondering if you were doing anything this weekend."_

_I stared up at him puzzled. Why would Zuki want to know if I was doing anything? Was he planning on throwing me some kind of party or something?_

_"No..." I answered slowly. "Not that I know of. Why ask?"_

_"Well, uh," he began lamely. Kazuki paused as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand as he looked away. "I was just wondering if... you wanted to go out with me on Saturday."_

_With that, he faced me with a casual smile, and I stared up at him wide-eyed. My first __**real**__ date! And Kazuki was a really great guy, so nice and chivalrous... But, I wasn't entirely sure. Well, if starting a relationship with Kazuki was going to help my put Kyoya behind me, then I might as well accept it._

_"Sure, Zuki," I answered with a smile. "What time?"_

_"How about I pick you up around 3:30pm?" Zuki inquired. "We'll grab something to eat, and go see a movie."_

_"Sounds like a plan! Can't wait until then."_

_

* * *

_

**Replies to reviews from previous chapter: (WOOOOO HOOOOO! 19! 19! 19! NEW RECORD!)**

**Elena: Hey, thanks for point all that stuff out, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story! The thing about Kyoya and his dad... we'll I'm kinda keeping this fic a little more close to the manga more than the anime, but it's going to have some references from both. So, yeah.**

**i'mthenewCAKEPIG: First off... SQUEEE! DAVID ARCHULETA! Yay! I love his song "Crush"! In fact, I think you just might have given me a song idea...^.^ The convention was a blast! Kyoya or Kazuki, who will she choose? Stay tuned!**

**HarutaYari: I'm sad that I completely missed you at the con! But, oh well! There's always next year! Thanks! And yes, Katherine let's her emotions get the better of her most of the time.**

**silverrain1312: Yes, it's always a mystery of what secrets lie in that little black book of his... Yayz! The con actually did me some inspiration for upcoming chapters, so YAY for no fillers! The con was a blast, and I loved meeting Vic in person ^.^**

**KaseyKay10: Thanks!**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Yeah... sorry about that... I've kinda run out of ideas for Taylor... All in due time the answers will unfold.**

**E.M. Megs: You know what's funny? I didn't realize until ten chapters within the story that Katherine and Kyoya's name start with K... then, there's Kimiko... and now Kazuki... Yeah, this is all un-intended irony...**

**Aurora-16: I'll be sure to schedule both Kyoya and his prissy little fiancé with a but whoping from you and Maya ;). God knows he deserves it! **

**Takara Rose Oizumi: :)**

**AllyraMortlock: Yeah Kyoya and s*** himself doesn't really seem to fit XD Oh, yes, the hosts will find out about him in due time... The con was a blast! Sadly, I still haven't had the time to upload the pics onto my DeviantART page...**

**BunnyNinja: Yay! I'm glad. Kyoya likes to keep tabs and notes, so he's more of a note-taker in class compared to the typical conversationalist. lolz**

**SargentAngua: Poor Kyoya... he definitely needs a butt-whoop! I'm trying to make it go to 40 chpt. (not including the Author's note in Cpt. 34), so yes, this story will be ending soon... :'(.**

**xXanimeluver15Xx: Yay! You're back! New characters, new drama. That's what I always say... What better way to heat up the story than have him engaged to her? All mysteries will be solved in due time. ;) Yeah, you'll notice with typical Ouran fics, there's always something new to expect. But, I like surprising you all, it keep you wanting more! haha! Thanks, it was a blast!**

**Arianna Mitoko: THanks!**

**Toni Heart: Yeah, I know Kingdom Hearts. It's been a while since I played that game though...**

**xxNishaLubsYew: 1). I'm not so great with writing lemony stuff... (2). Well, reality hurts sometimes... (3). Awww, I'm sure she'd appreciate that! (4).Totally slapped by not only K.C., but me too! (5). There will be violence when it's called for! ;) Thanks!**

**perfect-pisces: Thanks!**

**Moonlight's Shadow Warrior: Thanks! Yes, K.C. has a tendency to let her emotions take over (totally opposite of Kyoya of course XD). Thanks again!**

**Lydia kyoya: Thanks!**


	37. Operation: KC's First REAL Date

**HEY GUYS! I'M NOT DEAD!**

**First off... I'm really REALLY sorry this chapter is being posted a few weeks late... If only you guys knew how much work I have piled up on me... SO! To make it up to you guys *drum roll* I'M MAKING A SUPER-DUPER LOOOOONNNG CHAPTER! And, yes, I'm staying up late again to write the entire thing.**

**IMPORTANT NOTICE!:**

**Another thing... I'm really, truly sorry you guys, but I had to cut a few of your OCs, or else there would be too many characters in the fic, and some of the viewers would get confused and all... So, if your character doesn't appear in the chapter or the rest, then I probably cut him/her. *deep bow* I'm so sorry you guys! I know I said that I would use all of them, but I had no other choice! I hope you'll all forgive me!**

***deep breath, and sighs* So, are you guys ready for the next Chapisode of "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In"? Awesome! Now, I know that a lot of you guys were shocked from K.C. and Kyoya's little moment in the last chapter-**

**K.C.: **HE DESERVED IT!

**Gee... you're seriously still ticked up about it?**

**K.C.: **YES!

**Wew, I know that you'w just WUV this next CHAPPIE~!**

**K.C.: u_ulll **Please, don't talk like that...

**Fine. BUT **_**YOU**_** have to do the Disclaimer!**

**K.C.: **WHY?

**Because I've done the disclaimer for the past 35 chapters already, and I'm tired.**

**K.C.: **Well, _I'm_ tired of _you _torturing me through the story!

**It's called angst. And from the reviews I get, angst and cliffhangers are what hooks the viewers. But, on the plus side, THIS chapter is going to be a good one for you~!**

**K.C.: **Can't you just tell me what happens?

**No. Because... One, I'd spoil everything! And two... weren't you paying attention to the sneak peak?**

**K.C.: **I passed out on my bed after getting home from that Lesbelia Asylum.

**Oh right... Well, then, I just know you'll love this chapter! So, my faithful viewers, read on and enjoy the chapisode!**

**OCs used in this chapter:**

**Allyra Mortlock (**_**AllyraMortlock**_**)**

**Kazuki Takeda (**_**Queen Violet of the Underworld**_**)**

**Izumi Ajume (**_**silverrain1312**_**)**

**Kaito Chihiro (**_**HarutaYari**_**)**

***grasshopper chirping in silence* K.C.!**

**K.C.: **Huh? Oh right...** *Supergirl hands her a note card, which K.C. reads monotonously* **Supergirl501 does not own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything Ouran-ne... ***Scans over card a few times* **Nefoted? What the heck is "nefoted"?

**It's "RELATED"!**

**K.C.: **Well, I can't read your handwriting!

**Deal with it!**

**K.C. *sighs*: **You know, I'm just going to wing it...** *Tosses notecard to the side, and clears throat* **Spazzy-authoress, formerly known as Supergirl501, does not own Ouran High School Host Club, or anything Ouran-_related,_ except for her Host Club merchandise that is clogging up her dresser top.

**There was nowhere else to put it!**

**K.C: *Ties SG up and gags her* **ANYWAY, she _does_ own me! And, I'm still in shock that I even came from her spazzy, hyper-active mind...

**Smmff, nnjmmy dhh chmmtr!**

**K.C.: **Translated: "I'm a loopy nut-job"**.**

**Wmmt? Thmmmt's nmt wmmt I smmd!**

**K.C.: **Anyway, enjoy the chapter, everyone!

* * *

**~ Chapter 37 ~**

**Operation: K.C.'s First REAL Date**

As soon as the chilling, winter weather began to warm up, the trees began to grow back their lush, green leaves, and the flora began to bud from their places in the ground, or in the bushes. New life was beginning to fill the once dreary winter scenery. Nature was finally awakening and bursting from its frosty coat. The animals returned from their long slumber, scurrying about on the ground. Yes, springtime had finally risen to its peak. A time where the beauty of nature bloomed to its fullest; A time where even the slightest romance blossomed.

I scoffed at the last thought, and then slammed my locker shut. Yeah, right. _That_ only happened in the movies. Since when in real life has _any_ romance ever "blossomed" during the springtime? Mine was torn down for me that was for sure. All because that stupid Ootori boy had to tamper with my feelings from square one! All this time I had been wondering what he would gain from beginning a relationship with me. Now, I understand that he only used me just so that we could be on better terms than before. Friends or not, I wasn't going to allow Kyoya to believe that my heart was his little play-toy.

Growling under my breath, I slung my bag strap over my shoulder and tried to act as calm as I could, no matter how much anger was boiling up inside me at the moment. As I traveled down the halls to the classroom, I forced my mind to focus on other topics. Honestly, I didn't care what I thought about (hell, I could think about monkeys eating tacos in a bathtub!), just as long as my mind was off Kyoya. Of course, no matter what I thought about, he would pop up in my mind again!

"Hey, K.C.," a voice spoke interrupting my thoughts.

I was about to snap from my still fuming anger, but when I glanced over to find that it was only my best friend, I sighed. "Hey, Tao."

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked. "You've been distant from everyone for the past two weeks."

"It's nothing," I murmured. "Just a few things on my mind."

"Oh, well..." the brunette began, pausing to glance away in thought. Once she found her words, she turned back to face me, with her typical, sweet smile. "Valentine's Day is just around the corner."

At that point, a sharp, arrow-like pain zapped straight towards my chest. Valentine's Day... a holiday where friends, family, and couples exchange chocolates and colorful cards, whether they were store-bought or home-made. Of course, it was mainly a day of love; and every time I was subconsciously reminded of my failure. Just at the mere thought, I felt like crawling into a hole and dying.

"I didn't know that Japan even celebrated Valentine's day," I commented after a moment of thinking.

Tao nodded. "Don't you celebrate it in America?"

"Of course we do," I answered. "Well, as far as I know. I mean, it's just a day where guys and girls exchange chocolates and cards-"

"Wait," Tao cut me off.

I stopped to face at her. The brunette's eyes grew wide as she stared at me, and her jaw seemed loose enough to drop to the floor. Her expression was pure, honest-to goodness shock as she continued to stare at me, blinking every once in a while. Something I said?

"The _boys_ give girls candy on Valentine's Day in America?" Tao inquired.

"Yeah," I replied. "Well, girls do the same thing for guys. Friends exchange candy and stuff, and so do family members."

"Wow... I wish I could live in America..." Tao spoke dreamily, as her mind began to wander off. "It would be a nice change for once..."

Obviously, she was dreaming about her and Satoshi again; of course, I wouldn't blame Tao for daydreaming about the one she loved. I mean, I know that _I_ would if_ I_ were her. I sighed at the thought of Kyoya and I being together, but then quickly banishing it as I reminded myself of what he did to me. That no-good son of a...

"So, what do you guys in Japan do for Valentine's day?" I spoke, before my anger could boil up again.

Apparently, my question brought Tao back from Lala-land, because she was stammering for a minute while blushing. "Well, the girls typically give their friends, and also guys, candy on Valentines. And in March, the guys give the girls a gift or two in return." She sighed again as she gazed off into the distance. "My family's personal chef offered to teach me how to cook so that I can make something for Satoshi."

I smiled. "Well, home-made things are better. Besides, money can't buy love. Now," I added, turning halfway around, "we can't stand around day-dreaming any longer. The bell's about to ring."

Once I finished, I turned fully around and began walking down the hallway. For a few moments, Tao wasn't by my side; of course, I suspected that she was still in her reverie. After that, though, she caught up to join me, and we walked down the hall together. It was nice to finally chat with Tao again after distancing myself for two weeks. Yeah, I was _that _upset with Kyoya. Of course, being with my best friend made me realize that I have more people on my side, making about ten, or so, to one. Nothing could ruin my day now.

"Hey, isn't that Ootori-senpai?" Tao questioned, breaking through my thoughts.

Except that.

Glancing down the hall, I found that Tao was right. There was the Shadow King, leaning against the wall with that stupid notebook in hand, jotting down his dastardly plots on befriending anyone that was of use to him. I snarled as I glared daggers at the Ootori boy, and then huffed, turning my attention away from him. Why he wasn't on his was to class was all too easy for me to figure out. Apparently, he was going to stop _me_ on _my_ way to class to give me an update on Host-Club-this, or Host-Club-that. How did I know that Kyoya was going to do that? He's done the same thing for the past two weeks.

I didn't want to deal with him at this moment; not with Tao around. Quickly grabbing my best friend's wrist, I pulled her with me towards the corner of the intersecting hallways, praying that I would be able to dodge Kyoya this time. If Kyoya was desperate to chat with me, he could wait until club hours. The brunette girl questioned me about my sudden behavior, but I shushed her before she could even speak the first three words. I gave a quick glance at Kyoya while leading Tao along behind me, and then I sighed inwardly with relief as I turned my attention down the hall. Finally, I was able to dodge him.

"Going somewhere, Johnson-san?" he inquired, not even glancing up from his notebook.

I froze in place, while still holding Tao's wrist. He played the old "eyes-in-the-back-of-the-head" trick; or in this case, the side of his head. How could I have not seen _that_ coming? Kyoya had been playing that trick on me since I began working for the club. I presumed that I had been to focused on escaping that I wasn't even thinking about the Ootori boy scanning the hallways through his peripheral vision.

Sighing in defeat, I released Tao and told her to stay put. Then, mustering up a smile, I walked over to the Shadow King. "You want to talk to me, senpai?"

"I just stopped by to mention that the club will be holding the gathering out in the courtyard tomorrow afternoon," Kyoya replied, nonchalantly as he continued to scribble in his notebook.

"Let me guess..." I spoke blandly, just imagining the blonde 'king'. "Tamaki-senpai wants the guests to 'view that nature as it awakens into a beautiful, reborn bloom'."

I imitated the prince-type as best as I could while I spoke that last part, not even caring whether I received even the weakest chuckle. Kyoya only kept that straight face as he continued to scan over his notes he took.

"Yes, it is typical for Tamaki," he spoke. Then, he snapped his book closed and adjusted his glasses. "You will need to stay for an extra hour today in order to prepare everything; but during club hours tomorrow, you're free to do as you wish."

Inwardly sighing with relief, I was glad that I could take the afternoon off tomorrow. Finally, I would be able to finish my homework early, allowing enough free-time to study. Of course, as I thought more on the subject, there wasn't really much to study for except the upcoming math test, which would be simple because math was one of my strong subjects. I guessed that I could just turn in a little early.

"Of course, there's the cosplay..." Kyoya continued.

Instantly, I froze. The club was meeting outside, _and_ they were cosplaying? Great... just when I had my hopes up, the Shadow King has to interject and ruin it... like always. Well, the club always had a cosplay day every week, and it wasn't like I hadn't helped the Host Club set up for their cosplay before. Besides, maybe there weren't many props to carry back and forth from the storeroom to the courtyard.

"Actually, there are a couple of props needed for tomorrow's cosplay," the Shadow King spoke.

I froze as his response rang in my head. Just when I got my hopes up again, Kyoya _had_ to shatter them; this time with his little "_I-can-read-every-single-one-of-your-thoughts_" trick. My lower eye twitched as I ground my teeth together.

"Don't worry, senpai," I spoke, forcing a smile as well as a cheerful tone. "I'll be there this afternoon, and I'll work all night if I have to."

"Excellent," Kyoya spoke, turning to me with that stupid grin. "That's all, Johnson-san. You may head off to class now."

_Gladly..._ I thought as I nodded in affirmation.

I held back the urge to sweep that smug smile off his face, and the two of us strode off in opposite directions. I felt like busting a hole in the wall! Why was it that Kyoya knew which buttons to press? "_I have my sources"_ would definitely be his answer. It was _always_ his answer! He knew I was still livid with him, yet he had the guts to meet me at the same corner of the same hallway two weeks in a row to give me a heads-up about what the Host Club would be doing that week. I released a deep breath to cool myself down. Well, at least he wasn't procrastinating.

"So, what's up?" Tao inquired as soon as I caught up with her.

"Just a weekly update about the club," I answered blandly.

"Oh," Tao answered. There was silence as the two of us continued our stroll down the pastel pink halls, until she spoke up again. "Soooooo, did you tell him?"

Raising an eyebrow, I faced her. "About what?"

"You're feelings."

"No."

Tao sighed, and the placed her hands on her hips. "I thought you did _that_ weeks ago."

I scoffed at the thought. "Tao, listen, never in my life will I fall for such a heartless..." I caught myself before I could curse, and then began again, "jerk."

Tao raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, and then gazed at me thoughtfully. After a few moments of silence, she turned her attention back down the hallway. My guess was that she decided to focus on brainstorming ideas on what to make for Satoshi on Valentine's Day, which, of course, was the obvious. Then again, she could be pondering about the situation between Kyoya and me, which she didn't have to worry about.

During the silence, I tried to simmer down my irate emotions. Every time I allowed my emotions to take control over everything I did, things didn't quite work out well for me in the end... Two weeks ago at Lobelia, for instance: I was still livid with Kyoya for writing his 'opinions' about me in his book (Although, I had to admit that some of them were true), and it ended up in a heated fight with me lashing out and cursing at him. Sighing, I just had to teach myself to use my common sense more often.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Tao, or any of the others, didn't question about my uncanny behavior for the past two weeks, and we all went along with our typical day during class and chatting during break time and lunch period. It was a nice change to catch up with my classmates, since I had distanced myself from them for a while. I did have to confess that I missed Natalie's dark humor, no matter how twisted it was.

Of course, by the end of the day, that's when I had to endure all hell that would come upon me, especially _after_ club hours. I had only stayed after club hours to prepare the cakes for the next day twice. Once: when I was sneaking out to attend the Stellar Club, and the second time: when the hosts were setting up out in the courtyard. Even though I wished that I could sleep in tonight, I would at least be able to relax during tomorrow's club hours.

Sadly, working in the kitchen felt like an eternity. My mind was focused on making sure the cakes didn't look like a pre-school finger-painting artwork; however, I had to keep a constant pace while working. I glanced up at the clock every so often; of course, I discovered that i was glancing up every five minutes. Club hours lasted three hours; plus, I would be working an additional hour or two just to prepare the desserts for the Host Club tomorrow.

As soon as hosting hours were through, I allowed myself to relax and work at my own pace. It took about an hour and a half to prepare everything for tomorrow; and even though I'd rather be back at my apartment finishing up my homework, haste made waste. Besides, I spent half of lunch period working on my homework so that I would be up past midnight trying to figure out a science problem.

I doubled checked the cakes to make sure there was the right amount; once my calculations were correct, I sighed with relief, and then cleaned off the sugar-coated counters and washed the dishes. As soon as that was complete, I hung my apron back up and made my way out of the kitchen.

A bright light emanating from the far side of the room caught my attention, but it was too obvious to even bother figuring out. There sat the Shadow King, typing away on his laptop. Obviously, he stayed to work on whatever he did on his computer, while also making sure that I didn't play hooky. I scoffed and rolled my eyes at the thought. With as much as I owe him now, playing hooky was the _last_ thing I'd even think about doing.

Shouldering my bag, I strode across the room. "Hey, senpai. I'm leaving."

"Everything has been complete?" he inquired.

I froze in mid-step, as my lower eye twitched. Seriously? Did he not trust me? I have been working for the club almost all year! He should know by now that I complete all of my work before heading out! Something in my gut that he was pushing my buttons again.

Turning around, I narrowed my eyes at him. "Yes, senpai. Everything has been complete."

That was when I noticed the corners of his mouth slightly curl into that smirk. Was he actually enjoying this? I ought to slug him...

"Very well then," Kyoya spoke, plastering on his calm mask and adjusting his glasses. "You're dismissed."

Without hesitation, I turned and made my way towards the door, stepping out into the hallway. I released a deep breath, relieved that today's labor was finally finished. I thought for sure that I was never going to make it out of that kitchen alive! Well, I would have tomorrow afternoon to do whatever I wanted, and that stupid, Ootori boy wouldn't get in my way with anything.

**~. . * . .~**

Opening my locker, I yawned as I grabbed my books and binders for the morning class and stashed them in my satchel. Boy, did I want to sleep in last night! I was up all night stuck on a trigonometry problem; and after half an hour of thinking it through on my own, I went back to the lesson where it was introduced. As soon as I found the instructions for the problem, I felt like smacking my head on a wall over and over for being so idiotic. Well, I only prayed that I could stay awake during class today.

"Hey, K.C.," a familiar voice chirped from beside me.

Slowly turning my head, I glanced over to find Tao with that cheerful smile on her face.

Of course, when she took another close look at me, her smile faded. "Are you, okay, K.C.? You don't look so great."

"I just didn't get much sleep last night," I answered, rubbing my eyes, which most likely had visible bags underneath them.

"Oh," the brunette spoke sympathetically. "Stumped during homework?"

"That _and_ Ootori made me work after hours to prepare the desserts for _today_," I answered, gritting my teeth at the thought of him.

"Why today?"

"The club is meeting in the courtyard this afternoon," I answered. "Since there's no kitchen outside to prepare everything, I had to do it all yesterday."

"I see," Tao mused, glancing down at the floor. After a while, her face lit up and she looked up at me. "That means you have the afternoon off, right?"

"Yeah," I answered slowly, glancing over at her.

"You should come to the Art Club with me this afternoon. It'll keep your mind off the stress at the Host Club, and it's a lot of fun!"

I contemplated over the offer. Sure, I was stressed out from last night's work load, but I did enjoy entering my comfort zone every once in a while.

Facing the brunette, I smiled. "I'd love to, Tao."

She smiled back, and then I closed my locker, spinning the combination, before heading off down the halls with Tao chatting about whatever came to our minds.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Thankfully, classes had flown by in a flash, and, like every afternoon, I found myself carrying a hefty box of props down the stairwell and into the courtyard. This was the second box I had to bring outside. The hosts assisted me by taking a few boxes and tabled outside; but, still, it felt as if my arms were going to drop to the floor along with the props. Nevertheless, I adjusted my grip on the box and finally made it out to the courtyard in one piece.

"Hey, guys," I called out to the hosts, who were setting up the tables and blankets. "I think this is the last one!"

The hosts were already dressed in their robes, and the tables were set with tea, instant coffee, and, of course, the cakes. The decorations that needed to be set up were mainly paper lanterns and flower arrangements. Along with the budding cherry blossoms, I had to confess that the courtyard as a sight to behold.

"Thanks for all your help, K.C.," Haruhi spoke as soon as we were finished stringing the lanterns from the trees.

"It's no problem," I answered. Then, I glanced around the courtyard. "Is there anything else that needs to be done?"

"Everything is complete, Johnson-san," Kyoya's voice replied. "You're free to go."

"All right," I answered, grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder.

"Of course, you'll be back after hosting hours," the Shadow King added before I could take a step forward.

"I will, senpai," I answered, truthfully not wanting to deal with him at the moment.

"Excellent. Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai have to leave a few minutes before closing time, so our strongest members won't be here to take the tables to the storage. That job is left to us, and then of course there's taking down the decorations and packing them away; plus, storing any leftovers in the kitchen. To sum everything up," Kyoya adjusted his glasses and flashed that grin, "I'd suggest that you arrive a few minutes early if you wish to arrive home and gain your sleep."

I twitched as I stared up at him. So, Mori-senpai and Hunny-senpai had to go somewhere? Of course, I was sure that Tamaki and the twins were strong enough to hoist the tables for a long time; unless, of course, the twins "accidentally" dropped the table on the blonde's foot. Then there was everything that needed to be packed and stored away somewhere, whether it was the food or the props.

Forcing a smile, I turned around to face him. "Don't worry, senpai. I'll be here."

"I'll see you then," the Shadow King spoke, turning on his heel and walking away.

I growled under my breath, and then adjusted my bag's strap before walking back inside the school building.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Stupid, no-good, rotten, baka Ootori..." I rambled on as I tore and squeezed the molding clay in my hands before slamming it onto the innocent pile of clay.

Well, I agreed to attend the Art Club with Tao; however, I couldn't keep my mind off of Kyoya. For the past two weeks, he's been pushing my buttons. Did he enjoy seeing me squirm? I rolled my eyes at the thought. He loved being in control and manipulations everyone, so there was no doubt why he would enjoy making people squirm. I squeezed the lump of clay in my hand as I thought over all of the times Kyoya had manipulated me; then, with all of my frustration, I slammed the clay down on the innocent pile.

"Take it easy, K.C.," Allyra chuckled, her southern drawl easily identifiable through her struggled Japanese enunciation. "You wanna sculpt the clay, not murder it."

I sighed, and relaxed my shoulders. "Sorry... I've just been stressed out all week."

"Everything all right?" Tao inquired.

I groaned, and rested my elbow on the table with my chin in my hand. "Baka Ootori's just driving me crazy, that's all."

"Ah, boys'll be like that," Allyra spoke, curving a stray lock of bright red hair behind her ear. "Trust me. It's like they're robots. They have no feelings, and don't care about anything! Except sports, and that's as far as I know."

"Besides," Tao added. "I thought you liked Ootori-senpai."

"I _did_," I answered, resting my arm on the table. "But, now I realize that he's a total jerk."

"Well, he's probably not 'the one' for you, you know?" the red-head spoke. "Besides, there are other fish in the sea."

"Allyra-senpai's right," my best friend spoke.

I sighed as I gazed down at the lump of clay. "Yeah... Maybe I should just let Kyoya go and move on."

"That's it, K.C.," Tao spoke.

I smiled at her, and then I tore of a piece of clay. This time, I rolled it in my hands and shaped it instead of smothering the heck out of it. It was nice to know that I had others to talk to. Whenever I had the urge to knock Kyoya's lights out, I could talk about it with Tao, or any other close friend; and if I was still ticked up when I got back to my apartment, I could still vent out my anger on my pillow.

**~ . . * . . ~**

When there was only fifteen minutes of club activates remaining, I said my good-byes to Tao and Allyra before making my way out of the room and down the hall. I took my time walking through the hallways and down the stairs, because by the time I would arrive at the courtyard, the hosts would already be packing everything up. Once I reached ground level, I passed by a few of the hosts regular clients, who were chattering and squealing about what occurred during the Host Club.

It took another hour to gather the decorations and pack away the refreshments, but we all took charge in bringing a few boxes up to the storeroom, (or the clubroom, depending on what we were carrying). While I began unpacking the drinks and leftover cakes and storing them away, I glanced around the clubroom at the other hosts, who were performing their typical after-club activities, except for Mori and Hunny who had already left.

That was when the cardboard boxes caught my attention. There was one of them stacked up by the door for me to take back to the storage closet, but I was sure that _four_ boxes were taken down to the courtyard. I remembered seeing two of the hosts each take a box back to the storage room, equaling three total. Assuming that everyone lost track of the props, I walked across the room and grabbed the box to take it to storage.

"Hey, senpai," I spoke to Kyoya, who was busy at his laptop. "I think we left one of the boxes down in the courtyard."

"Is that so?" he inquired smoothly.

"I'm not sure," I answered. "But, after I put this one away, I'll go and check."

"That would be helpful, Johnson-san," Kyoya spoke monotonously.

After a few moments of waiting for anything else he had to say, I opened the door with one hand and held it open with my back as I slid into the hallway. At least the storeroom wasn't far from Music Room 3; it was actually just a few doors down at the other end of the hallway. That way, it was a perfect midway point between the location of the staircase as well as the Host Club.

As soon as I made my way into the courtyard, which had been lit by the lamp posts at the corners of the cobblestone pathways, I discovered the missing box of props set underneath the cherry tree. I peeked inside, making sure that nothing had been taken, and then I closed the lid and hoisted the box of props into my arms. After that, I made my way into the school building and towards the storeroom.

Like always, I was glad that my work at the club was finally finished, of course, it was only Wednesday, so I had a while before the weekend, where I could relax, watch some television, draw, work on my scrapbook... I sighed thinking of all the things I could do. This week really hadn't been my week.

That damn Shadow King just had to keep pushing my buttons. Just like back during the second semester, Kyoya and I were cold towards each other. I didn't regret what I told him back during the night at Lobelia, but God knows he deserved to hear it! Forget even confessing my feelings to him! He wouldn't even give a care in the world, unless he could use me like everyone else. I scoffed at the thought. He probably had his own little nifty tool box where he had everyone in it.

I released a deep breath, as I became more aware of my quick, breathing patterns, accelerated heart rate, and taut muscles. Gee, I could become easily frustrated without even knowing that I was. I took a few deep breaths, and tried to think of something else. I just had to let go of Ootori.

As soon as I packed the box in the storage closet, I turned around and began making my way back to the staircase. All I wanted to do was go home and stretch out my aching muscles before working my brain until midnight with loads of homework.

"K.C.!" a voice cried out, breaking my thoughts

Curious, I stopped and turned to the voice only to find that it was Kazuki rushing down the hall towards me. It had been three weeks since Kazuki and I played together in Music Room 2, and we would pass by each other in the halls and chat; of course, most of the time, Zuki would walk me to my next class. He was like any other typical gentleman in this aristocratic school; but, it was always so nice of him to offer.

"Hey, Zuki," I spoke as he approached me.

"Hey, K.C.," he spoke. Then he stammered for a minute as he gazed at me. "Listen, I was wondering if you were doing anything this weekend."

I stared up at him puzzled. Why would Zuki want to know if I was doing anything? Was he planning on throwing me some kind of party or something? My birthday had already come and gone, Zuki would know that. But, what was with the sudden question?

"No..." I answered slowly. "Not that I know of. Why ask?"

"Well, uh," he began lamely. Kazuki paused as he rubbed the back of his head with his hand as he looked away. "I was just wondering if... you wanted to go out with me on Saturday."

With that, he faced me with a casual smile, and I stared up at him wide-eyed. My first date. My first real date! It wasn't set up or anything. It was like any typical date where the guy would casually ask the girl out, they go out, do something, and then go home. At least, that's how dates worked, right? Maybe it varied depending on the people who were dating each other.

Kazuki was a really great guy, so nice and chivalrous... But, I wasn't entirely sure. We have begun to build up a friendship since the beginning of the term; plus, Tao and Allyra said that I needed to let go of Kyoya. Well, if starting a relationship with Kazuki was going to help my put Kyoya behind me, then I might as well accept it.

"Sure, Zuki," I answered with a smile. "What time?"

"How about I pick you up around 3:30pm?" Zuki inquired. "We'll grab something to eat, and go see a movie."

"Sounds like a plan! Can't wait until then."

With that, Kazuki offered to walk me back home, which I gladly accepted. I still couldn't get over the fact that I was actually going out on a real date! The "date" I had with Kyoya was just a set-up by the twins, and I barely knew him at the time. Now, I had begun a friendship with Zuki, and now he was asking me out, on a REAL DATE! I was just so ecstatic I couldn't think straight.

As soon as we arrived at the apartments, I thanked Zuki, and then ascended the staircase to my room. I just couldn't believe it. I thought that once again, I would have another stressful week, but then along come Kazuki to ask me out on a REAL DATE! As much as I wanted to dream about what we would talk about and how the afternoon would work out, I knew I had to stay focused on my homework and get some much-needed rest.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Before I even knew it had come, Wednesday evening had morphed into Friday afternoon. I had just finished my chores with packing the leftover cake slices away, cleaning the dishes, and wiping the counters clean. As soon as that was said and done, I sighed and then hung my apron up.

As I made my way out of the kitchen, I hummed a little tune. Tomorrow was the day, the big day. The day I would be on my very first actual date. At least I was going out with someone who actually wanted to know me as a person, and not know me just to use me in the future. I trusted Kazuki, and I knew that he wouldn't tamper with my feelings like that Ootori boy had done for the past two terms.

"Hey, K.C.," a pair of voices spoke in unison. "You seem a bit chipper."

I stopped and glanced up at the twins. "Oh, I'm just happy."

"About what?" the brothers inquired, curiously.

I sighed dreamily. "Well, if you must know. I'm going on a date tomorrow."

"A DATE!" Tamaki's voice shrieked from the other end of the room. Instantly, he was leaning over me, while grasping my shoulders. "You're going out on a DATE, K.C.? Without Daddy's permission?"

"Senpai, I think I'm old enough to make my own decisions," I answered blandly.

Tamaki stumbled backwards in his typical dramatic fashion. "NO! Don't say that, K.C.! You know that even as you get older, you'll always be Daddy's little girl!"

"If I'm 'Daddy's little girl'," I began, "then, that does that make Haruhi?"

"You're both my little girls," the club president whined.

I sighed at him. Seriously, I just had my happy moment before I was freaked out and then embarrassed by Tamaki's "Fatherly nature".

"So, K.C.," Hikaru spoke slyly, as he and his brother propped an arm on my shoulder.

"Who're you going out with?" Kaoru finished.

"Kazuki Takeda," I answered.

"Zuki?" the two brothers repeated, rather stunned.

"Yeah," I answered. "Do you know him?"

"Well, yeah," Kaoru answered. "He's in our class."

"Why would you go out with him?" Hikaru inquired. "He's not your type."

I sighed at him. Since when did a person's 'type' even matter. "Listen, you guys, Kazuki and I have become good friends, and he asked me out. So, tomorrow afternoon, we're going out."

"Where?" the brothers' inquired.

"_That_ is none of your business," I answered. "Now, if you'll excuse me," I added walking across the room. "I need to get home to make dinner."

No one else said a word, and no one even bothered to stop me, not even Kyoya. That was strange, even for him. Typically, he would stop me on my way out to make sure that I had everything completed. When I glanced over at him though, I found that he was gazing at his computer screen with his hands hovering above the keyboard. I wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks on me at the moment, because Kyoya seemed to have a look of disbelief on his face. Of course, I could've been wrong; besides, even if he did, he quickly hid it and resumed his typing.

I gave him one last skeptical look, but then shrugged and exited the music room. _He probably just had some writer's block or something..._

As soon as I exited the clubroom and turned to walk down the hall, I bumped into someone along the way "Ah! Gomen Nasai."

"Oh, no. You're fine," she answered. "I should've been paying more attention to the door when it opened."

That was when I glanced up at the girl. She was petite with wavy, burgundy hair trimmed in a bob style. It was difficult to distinguish her more distinct feature because of the slightly benighted hallways, but for some reason, the girl reminded me of someone.

Then, realization hit me. "Hey, you're Asuka's older sister, right?"

She nodded. "I'm Izuma Ajume."

"Pleased to meet you, Ajume-senpai," I spoke with a smile. "I'm Katherine Johnson."

"Ah, so you're the one Asuka's always talking about," Izuma spoke.

I froze at the thought. I knew that Asuka considered me her rival and most likely hated my guts, but she actually talked about me at her home.

Izuma sighed and glanced off into space. "Asuka is always the competitive one in the family, especially when it came to grades. She studies every time she gets the chance, and she pulls all-nighters if she has too. Apparently, she's always striving to be at the top of her class, whether she was the smartest girl, or the smartest of everyone." Then, Izuma glanced down at me and smiled. "I guess you beat her at her own game."

"Well, I'm not trying to beat anyone," I spoke. "I mean, being a scholarship students means that I have to keep making the top of the list; so, I'm just doing it to stay here."

The older Ajume sister nodded in agreement, and then silence fell between us for a while before she spoke up. "So, Katherine, do you mind if we walk together down the hall?"

"Sure," I answered with a smile, "And you can call me K.C. if you want."

"All right," she spoke, returning my smile. "And you can just call me Izuma."

After that, the two of us began walking down the halls together. Well, at least I wouldn't be walking home alone; plus, I had more on my mind dealing with Kazuki and our date tomorrow. I could just imagine chatting with him and having dinner, and then enjoying his company as we sat together in the movie theater. As I continued to dream about how the day would go, more thoughts began to enter my mind. What would I wear? What should we talk about during dinner? What movie would we see? Gee, I was so busy thinking about the date that I didn't even bother to think about what we would do.

I glanced up at the older Ajume sister, knowing that it would be easier for someone who's most likely been there don that. "Hey, Izuma?"

"Yes?" she answered.

"Listen, I have a question," I began. "When a guy asks you out on a date, what do you typically talk about?"

Izuma froze somewhat and stammered at the question. I only prayed that it wasn't too irrelevant or difficult for her to answer. Then, I noticed that Izuma looked somewhat bothered by this, but why? Did it bring back memories of her first love?

After a few moments of silence, the older Ajume turned to me and smiled. "Well, I don't know much about dates, but you should probably just be yourself. One thing I _do_ know is that when your attending any event, you have to look your best."

"Well, I know _that, _but I don't think any of my outfits are that impressive," I spoke.

Then, I noticed a smirk cross Izuma's lips. "Well, it's a good thing you and I crossed paths, K.C. because I know just the person who can help you."

"Really?" I asked, hopefully.

Izuma nodded. "He's more of an artist, but he does know a thing or two about fashion."

A wide smile spread across my face as I gazed up at her. Finally, all my answers to this "date" crisis would be solved! No more worrying about what Kazuki would think about how I looked because I would have a professional's opinion on my clothing and what would impress Zuki the most. Well, at least I would have to be dragged through a mall or attacked with mascara when...

Then, Izuma's response ran through my mind a few more times. _Wait... he?_

**~ . . * . . ~**

Finally, Saturday had arrived. It was half passed noon, and I was riding with Izuma in her limousine to her friend's estate. Yes, this was the friend she was talking about that was going to help me pick out my outfit for the evening. I told her about my deal with the Host Club, mainly to explain bumping into her yesterday after exiting the clubroom. She kept telling me about this Kaito Chihiro boy and how great his artistic abilities were, which apparently ran in his family. Well, I have only heard of girls being the fashion experts, like Mackenzie; but never had I heard of a fashion expert who was a guy.

As soon as we reached the grand doors of the large estate, Izuma stepped up to ring the doorbell and took a few steps back. In a matter of seconds, a man in his mid fifties or so answered the door. I assumed that he was one of the butlers that worked for the Chihiro family.

"Hello there, Shigeki-san," Izuma spoke cheerfully.

"Ajume-sama," he greeted. "Are you here for Kaito?"

"Yes, sir," she answered.

The butler nodded, and permitted us to step inside. While Shigeki went to call for Kaito, I gazed around the grand foyer with its sleek, tiled flooring. There were a few paintings took up nearly the entire wall! And even the ceiling was painted like those during the Renaissance period. Most of the paintings I couldn't recognize from famous artists, so I presumed that they were some of the Chihiro family's originals.

"Izuma!" a voice called out from the top of the wide staircase.

I glanced up to find a lean young man around the age of eighteen or so with spiky, jet black hair and magenta streaks. His bluish-green eyes stood out with the frame of black eyeliner around them. He wore a button-down magenta shirt that frilled at the sleeves, and sleek black leggings to accent a sparkly black kerchief that had been twisted to the side. He had a ring on each of his fingers, all of which didn't match the other. First thought that popped into my mind: _This was a guy, right?_

"Hey there, Kaito," the older Ajume girl spoke as soon as the boy reached the bottom of the staircase. "We're here."

"I see," he spoke with a crooked smile. "So, you must Miss Katherine."

"Um, yes," I answered.

Honestly, I would've said more if I hadn't been distracted by his appearance; of course, as I thought more about it, it wasn't right to judge on people's appearance, no matter how awkward it was. It was just difficult to avert my eyes from the classy fashion, though.

"So, I've heard that you've got a big night tonight," Kaito continued. "Of course," he added, facing Izuma. "What's in it for me?"

I raised an eyebrow confused, and then glanced up at the older Ajume girl, who seemed just a perplexed.

"What do you mean, Kaito?" she inquired.

The boy gave a weak chuckle. "Come on now, Izuma, I don't give away _my_ fashion ideas to just anyone." He turned and paced around the room. "Especially to those I just met."

Izuma rolled her eyes, muttering, "You're so vain when it comes to style." Then, a smirk played on her lips, and then turned me around slowly leading me out the door. "Well, it's too bad that you won't help poor Katherine out," she called over her shoulder. "I mean, she does know Morinozuka-senpai."

At that moment, the sound of wood dropping on the tiled floor echoed through the large foyer; and then, Izuma stopped me along with her.

"M-Morinozuka-senpai?" Kaito repeated. "As in... Takashi Morinozuka?"

"Um, well," I began, turning around to face his shocked, frozen figure. "I guess... I mean, I only know one Taka-"

At that moment, Kaito had zipped over and grasped my shoulders so that his eyes were locked onto mine. "You actually know Takashi Morinozuka?"

"Yeeaaah..." I answered slowly. "I guess you could say we're good friends."

"This is it, then," Kaito mused to himself as he released me and stood up straight. "By getting through you, I can finally get to Morinozuka-senpai and gain the confidence to confess my feelings for him that I've had through my entire years of high school!"

While the boy continued to ramble on, I gazed up at Izuma confused. "Did I miss something here?"

"Not really," she answered. "When it comes to Mori-senpai, Kaito gets a little overdramatic."

"Because..."

"He's had a crush on him throughout his years of high school."

Ooooookkaaaaayy... So, my gut was right about this guy. The Zuka Club may have been the first queers I've ever met, but they tried to take advantage of me. With Kaito it was a bit different. He acted like any regular guy, but his sense of style and his love interests were different than that of a typical boy. Well, that's what made him more interesting.

Izuma finally settled Kaito down, and then he led the two of us up to a room on the top floor that was five times the size of a typical clothing department. The room was filled with outfits and accessories, ranging from dresses to blouses, and hats to jewelry. I was sure that if I wandered around long enough, I would become lost in the sea of outfits.

I must admit that Kaito was a genius when it came to fashion. He knew what outfits would be modest on whatever occasion, and he even knew which colors would best match up together as well as they style of clothing. Unlike the Hikaru and Kaoru's sea of mannequins that I got to pick from, Kaito knew what he was looking for. He would narrow down his results, scan me over a few times, and eliminate one outfit at a time. In the end, my outfit was a white T-shirt with a navy, ruffle-neck mini-jacket; a navy, frilly mini-skirt with black leggings, and a pair of black flats.

Kaito even offered to style my hair for me, which I gladly obliged. Hey, if he could pick out the perfect outfit, then I was sure that he would have no problem with my hair. Kaito was quick with the straightening iron, and knew just which strand to curl; of course, he brushed out the curls slightly, so that my hair remained in a wavy fashion.

Then, of course, came the make up... As much as I wanted to run and hide somewhere, I knew I couldn't. It wouldn't be right. Besides, I'd have to get used to it eventually. Once Kaito was finished, I took a good look at myself in the mirror and then thanked him over and over again. Hey, I may not be a style expert, but I could tell right away that everything matched perfectly.

After assisting Kaito with putting away the outfits that we hadn't used, I thanked him one last time before he led Izuma and me back to the foyer; and then we said our goodbyes, and Izuma led me towards the parked limo and climbed in/ I told her that I would wear the outfit just for today, and then dry clean it and give it to her at the end of school on Monday so that she could give it to Kaito because I didn't feel right by just borrowing someone's clothes and not giving them back.

It was 2:30pm now, and my apartment was about forty-five minutes away by car. So, by the time Izuma dropped me off, I would only have about fifteen minutes to make sure I looked perfect with no wrinkles in my outfit or smears on my make-up. It's not like I cared about my appearance _that_ much, I just wanted this date to be perfect.

Once the limo pulled beside the sidewalk leading to the apartment complex, I stepped out of the vehicle and onto the sidewalk, thanking Izuma and her driver of course. I waved goodbye as the sleek black limo rolled down the road and out of sight; then, I sighed as I climbed up the staircase and headed into the apartment. It wouldn't be long before Kazuki arrived to pick me up, so with that time, I might as well touch myself up.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Well, after two wrinkle-checks, four make-up checks, and about eight or so breath-checks, I was still a nervous wreck! No matter how much I tried to calm myself, I just could keep the butterflies from fluttering around in my stomach. There must've been a lot of them in there, because the multiplied as soon as the doorbell rang. This was it. As soon as I opened that door, I would be come face to face with Kazuki.

Thoughts about his outfit began buzzing around in my head as I made my way through the kitchen, grabbing my purse along the way. Before opening the door, I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves, which helped somewhat, and then I placed my hand on the door knob and turned it. As I gradually swung it open, there was Kazuki dressed in a rather casual attire. Not what I would expect from a rich kid like him.

"Wow, Katherine..." he breathed, scanning me over a few times. "You look... amazing..."

"Thanks," I answered with a slight blush. "I had a little help. You look pretty amazing yourself."

"Yeah," he spoke, sheepishly. "I just pulled out whatever would work for today."

I giggled, and then I stepped out of the room, and closed the door, locking it before I followed Kazuki down the stairwell. So many thoughts began swarming in my mind, especially where Zuki was considering taking me for dinner, or what movie we would see. That was the one thing that puzzled me the most about a date. Was it the person who asked you out that chose, or did the you both have to decide?

I just had to ask: "So, Zuki. Where're we headed first?"

"Just a little restaurant down town by the theater," he answered as we climbed into the limousine. "It's not too popular, but the food's pretty good."

I smiled. "Whatever you're up for is fine by me."

He smiled back, and I gazed out the window. From where I sat, I could see the road ever so slightly through the tinted windows, and I noticed that I could see everything in the limousine's side-view mirror. Of course, that was when I noticed the reflection of another sleek black limo in the mirror, which made me raise an eyebrow in puzzlement. But, then I shrugged it off thinking that it was just someone who was traveling somewhere else. Ignoring the reflection, I turned back to Kazuki to strike up a conversation.

**~ . . * . . ~**

For a restaurant, it was surprisingly not all that fancy. In fact, I thought for sure that Kazuki was going to take me somewhere like a five star restaurant or something. I mean, he was rich after all. Well, may he just had a different taste in cuisine than his parents or the other wealthy students that attended Ouran Academy. It didn't matter much to me. All that _did_ matter was that I got to spend time and chat with Kazuki, and the food was superb.

During dinner though, I would hear, and/or notice, some of the plants in the restaurant by our table moving. There were faint whispers that could be heard over the low murmur of the other couples and families nearby. Of course, I decided to ignore it; I mean, it may hve been just the air flowing from the vents to cause the limbs to tremble like that. Again, I focused my attention on Kazuki and we continued our chat.

"Ah, that was the best tempura I've ever had," I mused as Kazuki and I walked down the sidewalk from the restaurant.

"I knew you'd like it," he spoke with a smile.

"You know, Zuki," I spoke, glancing up at him, "I thought that you were going to take me to some five star restaurant."

Kazuki shrugged. "I'm not really into the aristocratic lifestyle, you know. Everyone else I know visits a five-star restaurant and everything, but I don't want to be compared to them in a stereotype. I just want to be treated like a normal human being and not be judged by my wealth."

I nodded understandingly. I guess I expected too much od Kazuki. For instance, I was worried about what clothes would be more appropriate to impress him, or what restaurants he ate at and what food he ordered off the menu. Of course, after I saw him in the casual clothes, that explained everything. Zuki didn't want to be treated like a rich kid, he just wanted to be respected as a normal human being.

As soon as we entered the theater, we bought our tickets, and then grabbed our popcorn. I proceeded to match the number of the ticket to the number on the door we were supposed to enter to see our movie; and as soon as I spotted the door, Kazuki's voice stopped me from taking a step.

"Is that Suoh-senpai?" he inquired, rather surprised.

I glanced over in the direction he was gazing off into. Sure enough there was Tamaki squealing and spazzing over all the "commoner's candy". Yeah, that was exactly what he was calling them. Poor Haruhi had that "_Shoot me now..._" expression on her face as she stared at the perky blonde. At first, I thought those two were on their own date until the twins showed up. From there, I concluded that Tamaki dragged everyone off on one of his little commoner field trips.

Placing my arm in Kazuki's I led him away from the scene. "Just keep walking, and hopefully they won't look in our direction."

Kazuki allowed my to pick which seat we would take where we would watch the movie. I gazed at the rows of seats thoughtfully. I didn't want to sit close to the front for fear of straining my eyes, plus the sound was much louder down there/ So, I picked a spot in the middle, not too close and not too far from the screen.

Kazuki and I shared a bag of popcorn, but every time we both went to grab a piece, our hands brushed against each others. I quickly reacted by reeling my hand back and turned my attention away from Zuki, hoping that he didn't notice my blushing face. Why was I blushing so much? We were just two friends hanging out together. We weren't officially and item yet, and I wasn't sure if we were going to take the next step or wait a while.

As soon as the opening credits rolled in a draft of air flowed from the air vents, causing me to shiver slightly. I hugged myself in order to keep myself warm. Why did this mini-jacket have to be short-sleeved? I stayed like that fost of the opening of the movie and for the first five minutes of it; however, it was difficult to pay attention to the film while since I was busy fidgeting in order to keep myself warm.

"K,C?" Zuki's voice whispered from beside me.

Startled, I glanced over at him. "Y-yeah?"

"You, okay?" he inquired.

I smiled reassuringly. "I'm fine. I'm just a little cold, that's all."

After that, I turned my attention back to the silver screen; but then, an arm was wrapped around my shoulders and I was pulled towards Kazuki while he scooted closer to me. My face began to heat up at the closeness, but I tried to focus my attention on the screen so that I wouldn't worry about Zuki's closeness.

Suddenly, there was a small breeze, and then a slight rustle of paper. When I glanced down, I found that it was a crumpled piece of paper, which I proceeded to unfold.

"What is it, K.C.?" Kazuki inquired.

I shrugged in reply, and then I grabbed my cell phone and used the light to read the note:

_"HANDS OFF OUR IMOUTO!"_

I growled under my breath as I snapped my phone shut and crumpled the paper in my fist. At first I didn't suspect a thing when that limousine was following me and Zuki in his; however, I _knew_ something had to be going on when those plants were moving and rustling in the restaurant; and on top of all of that, Tamaki, Haruhi, and the twins were at the movies. Only one person could've written this note, and they would pay for it!

Forcing a smile, I turned to my date, "Excuse me for a minute, Zuki."

He nodded, while I stood up from my seat and climbed the staircase, where I found Tamaki in a huddle with the twins on either side of them. They were whispering about something, probably their next plot on how to ruin my first date. So, Tamaki didn't drag the hosts on his little "field trip", he, and all the other hosts, were stalking me and being peeping toms on my date! Well, I was going to teach them a lesson they would never forget. I yanked them by the collars of their jacket and leaned forward.

"Outside. Now." I hissed in their ears.

Without hesitation, the three boys stood up and walked down the stairs with me and out the door leading outside the theater. Words couldn't explain how furious I was with them at the moment. What would they gain from all of this? I still couldn't believe that they even decided to something like this...

"Why the heck were you guys spying on me?" I inquired.

"We weren't 'spying'," the twins answered nonchalantly.

"YES you _were_," I answered, placing my hands on my hips.

"We were only trying to make sure you were okay, K.C.-chan," Hunny's voice piped up from behind me.

I turned around to find the little Loli-shota along with his cousin and Haruhi standing beside me. So, the twins and Tamaki weren't the only ones in on this plot, but Hunny and Mori as well, and even Haruhi?

"Don't ask," the female host spoke bluntly. "I was technically dragged here against me own free will."

Well that explained a lot, so she was off the hook, but the other five I would ahve to take into consideration.

I sighed, to cool my anger down. "Look, I appreciate you guys wanting to look out for me and all, but I really don't need it. And if the only reason why you all have been following me all day was because you wanted to play peeping toms and all that, then you can just get your butts back in your limos and go home!"

"But, K.C.," Tamaki whined.

"'But' nothing, senpai," I snapped. "I am not going to allow you to ruin my first date-"

"_First_ date?" the twins repeated.

I sighed. "Yes, my first date. You two should obviously know that since the last one was set up."

"YOU TWO SAID YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO THE NAMES!" Tamaki exclaimed at the two brothers.

"As I was saying," I began again, "If you five just came down here to ruin my first date, then you can just go home!"

"Correction, Johnson-san. There were six of us in on this," an all too familiar voice spoke.

You have got to be kidding me. Kyoya was in on this whole thing too? I would've definitely expected Tamaki and the twins, but not Kyoya, nor Haruhi for that matter, Why would he even dare to step so low as to stalk me on my date? It just didn't make sense.

Folding my arms across my chest, I turned to face him. "Now, there's a surprise. I never really would've expected you to be the snooping type, Ootori-senpai. But, then again," I added, shrugging, "I guess that's why they call you the Shadow King."

The Ootori boy adjusted his glasses. "Well, now that it seems that we've been caught, is there anything you'd like for us to do?"

I thought long and hard, piecing my words together perfectly. "Actually, yes, senpai, there is. Tamaki-senpai, Twins, Haruhi, Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai, if you all aren't interested in the movie, then you can just get back in your Mercedes or whatever cars you brought along with you and go home. And as for you, Ootori-senpai," I added turning to him.

I paused as hot tears forced their way to my eyes, but I wasn't going to allow my perfect make-up to smear. I gazed up at him for a minute, but then glanced down at the concrete. He was calm and stoic like a wall of stone; well, if that's what he was, then he could take anything thrown at him.

"STOP TAMPERING WITH MY FEELINGS!" I exclaimed.

Without another word, I spun around on my heel and raced back into the theater. As the door closed behind me, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself so that Kazuki wouldn't grow curious. Then, I made my way back to the theater and joined my date to finish our movie together.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The purr of an engine and the gentle shaking aroused me from me slumber. Wait... when did I even fall asleep. I gazed around at my surroundings, but all I could see was benightedness, while a few lights from the street lamps zoomed passed a glass window. That was when realization hit me. I must've fallen asleep during the movie, and now I was in Kazuki's limo as it drove me home. Speaking of my date... where was he?

My questions was quickly answered when an arm wrapped around my shoulders and pulled me close to another being. I released a small yelp in surprise.

"It's only me," a calm voice whispered from above me.

I glanced up to find a pair of gray eyes gazing down into mine, and then I smiled. "What did I miss?"

"Just the last thirty minutes of the movie," he answered. "It was a predictable ending from the start, though."

I nodded my head in agreement, and then I inched a bit closer to Zuki, resting my head on his shoulder. For some reason, being close to Kazuki made me feel more at ease that I did around anyone else. I wasn't sure why though.

As soon as the limousine came to a full stop, Zuki and I climbed out from the vehicle and strode through the parking lot. I was still somewhat weary, but Kazuki still kept his arm draped aroun my shoulder until we reached the top of the stairwell. Wordlessly, was walked down the halls until we reached my door.

Kazuki released me, and I turned to him with a smile. "Thanks so much, Zuki. Tonight was amazing."

"I'm glad you liked it," he answered.

Then, he too my chin in his hand, and in one swift move, he leaned down and planted a small peck on my cheek. My face began to heat up at that moment, and even after Kazuki stood up straight, I stared at him wide eyed and gingerly touched the spot on my cheek where he kissed me.

He only smiled down at me. "I'll see you Monday."

After that, he turned around and walked down the hall. I watched him as he descended the stairwell and strode through the parking lot towards the parked limousine. Even after he climbed in, and the limo disappeared down the highway, I still continued to ponder if what just happened was all in my sleep-deprived mind, or it actually occurred. Boy, was I getting some major déjà vu...

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**Yay! There you go you guys! I didn't sleep all night, so yes, this was completed in a 9hr period... My first all-nighter!**

**Oh, and just so you guys know, I'm not really sure if Mori-senpai is gay or not; however, I doo remember reading in one of my mangas that he actually has had the urge to kiss Hunny-senpai... Yeeeeaaaahhhhh...**

**K.C.'s not here to end the story with me today... She's actually off picking a few bunches of daisies and- HOLY SNAP I THOUGHT YOU WERE GETTING A COUPLE!**

**K.C: This **_**is**_** a couple.**

**No that's not! That's like a hundred dozen!**

**K.C.: Whatever... *plops down on bed, and picks away a petal one by one* He loves me... He loves me not... He loves me... He loves me not...**

***sighs* Well, she's twitter-pated in LaLa-land...**

**Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Remember to Rate and Review!**

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_**SNEAK PEAK FOR CHAPTER 38:**_

_I strode down the halls of the Ouran Academy that afternoon. It was after club hours, and of course, I was hauling the prop boxes back to the storage room. Like every day, it had been a long, tiring one, and all I wanted to do was go home and rest._

_"So, this is what you do during club hours," a menacing voice spoke from beside me._

_Startled, I whirled around to find Kimiko standing at the corner with that smug grin on her face._

_"Kimiko-san," I greeted, blandly._

_"Don't try to hide it, Katherine," she spoke, walking up to me. "I now know what you're up to. Now, I know why you always enter and exit the music room during hosting hours. You work for the club."_

_My grew wide as all the color drained from my face. How in the world did she figure that out?_

_

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**Replies to Reviews from Previous Chapter:**

**xXanimeluver15Xx: Haha! Yeah, he got served with a side of rice. Yay for the Host Club! Thanks!**

**Takara Rose Oizumi: :)**

**ValueMyHeart: Thanks!**

**SarahELupin: Yeah, she's not all sugar and spice... I know right? Vic is so awesome!**

**KaseyKay10: Emotion is was brings out all the angst, drama, angst, action, and did I mention angst?**

**HarutaYari: Yeah, Kyoya just got served! Haha! Thanks!**

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**i'mthenewCAKEPIG: Yeah, I getz the idea. haha! Kyoya is so complex. And YAy for Archuleta!**

**pres1111: Thanks! I was worried that i wouldn't do too well with her ^.^' but, I'm glad I did! :)**

**AllyraMortlock: She has a tendency to let her emotions do the driving sometimes... I know! I wanna be in the hide and seek club too! It sounds like so much fun! Thanks!**

**Witty-Little-RedHead: Yes, the Zuka Club is quite the bunch... Thanks! I try to keep everyone's OCs as close to their personality as possible. Yes. Thanks!**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: Haha! I'm the same way! Thanks!**

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**Aurora-16: Thanks! Oooh Yay! Triple chocolate chip cookies! Thanks a bunch!**

**Moonlight's Shadow Warrior: Yay! Thanks! Yeah, he is kinda heartless... **

**BunnyNinja: Thanks! It was Ichibancon 2011 in NC. And it was AWESOME!**

**00StellaKichi00: OMG, you print out every chapter? I bet that's a lot of paper... Anyway, I'm glad you like it!**


	38. Sweet Revenge

**Wassup, Everybody?**

**All right, I'm proud to say that I have the energy and juices to keep writing this story! I actually went back and read my story to see if I could tie anything together for the final chapter.**

**K.C.:** Speaking of this story... I've noticed that you used A LOT of characters with "K" names.

***ponders* Now, that you mention it... I did use a lot of characters with "K" names. ^.^" talk about un-intended irony... especially in the main pairing.**

**K.C.:** It _was_ the main pairing of this story. Now, I've put that low-life ba***** behind me, so I'm moving on with Zuki.

**You do realize that it's almost the end of the school year for you, right? So, you and Zuki won't be an item for a long while.**

**K.C:** Oh, come on. You're the author. You'll fix this, right?

***evil smirk* Oh, I'll fix this.**

**K.C. *freezes*: **Wh-what... what were you thinking about doing?

**Oh nothing... *back to cheery self* :3 Anywayz! Read on guys and discover what happens in the next amazin' chapisode of... "Ouran High School Host Club: Fitting In"!**

**K.C.:** Quick question about you're little plot... You're not going to put me through another one of your "character tortures", are you?

***cheery smile* Don't be silly Katie-bug!**

**K.C.:** DON'T CALL ME THAT!

**Oh, just so you guys know, there will be a LOT of OCs in this chapter (both mine and others). Be warned... but, hopefully, you'll remember them. **

**OC'S USED IN THIS CHAPTER:**

**Meghan Maple (**_**Moonlight's Shadow Warrior**_**)**

**Jenna Maple (**_**Sunrise's Light Warrior)**_

**Maya Travers (**_**Aurora-16**_**)**

**Taylor Zierau (**_**Snow'n'Cupcakes**_**)**

**Allyra Mortlock (**_**AllyraMortlock)**_

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or it's characters, they belong to the wonderfully talented Bisco Hatori. I also do not own the other OCs in the story. **_**They **_**rightfully belong to their owners (listed above).**

**CLAIMER: I own all of my OCs, and the idea/plot for this story.**

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**~ Chapter 38 ~**

**Sweet Revenge**

I couldn't believe it. No matter how many times I looked at the calendar, I still couldn't believe that February had already blown into April. Boy, where had all that time gone? In one more month, just four more weeks, it would be graduation, and I would be out fo Japan for good. Needless to say that I would reflect on the days I spent at the school and in the country, and I sure would miss everything.

There were my good days, and there were my bad days, but I learned to let _those_ go, no matter how much they pained me when the slightest hint brought them back. There were lessons I learned and I would remember not to make the same mistakes in the future. One thing that I definitely had to work on was _not_ to let my emotions do the talking, because that got me into trouble more than once.

Aside from that, I built up close relationships with my classmates, the hosts, and some students that were a year or two ahead of me. Kazuki was the main one. After falling into Kyoya's little scheme to use me and meddle with my feelings, I shut him out of my mind and moved on with Zuki. I must admit that the past month we've been together was the best. All right, I'll admit that we weren't officially boyfriend and girlfriend; in fact, Kazuki hadn't asked me to be his, not even on Valentine's Day. Maybe he was just taking things slow, but we still walked together to and from classes every once in a while. Well, no matter what, I'd rather settle with him than that conniving, two-faced Ootori.

Kyoya was a thing of the past now, so all I had to do was move on.

Striding down the hallway to my classroom, a pair of identical brunettes caught my attention. The two of them were hanging around Haruhi, chatting about whatever it was driving the poor female host crazy. After a while, I realized that the two brunette were none other than the Maple sisters, who went grocery shopping with Haruhi and me. What puzzled me the most was that the two of them were wearing the male uniform for Ouran.

Brushing the fact to the side, I walked up to the two sisters. "Hey, Jenna. Hey, Meghan. I didn't know you guys went to Ouran."

The two girls turned away from Haruhi, and faced me somewhat confused. I wouldn't blame them since it had been over two months since I saw the female twins, so a couple of moments of blinking passed before Jenna let out a squeal and glomped me.

"K.C.!" she squealed. "We thought we'd never ever see you again!"

Geez, and I thought that Tamaki's hugs were suffocating...

"Uh, Jen," Meghan spoke calmly. "I think you should let her go..."

Thankfully, Jenna did as her sister bid, and I was able to breathe again. Serisouly… was I some kind of glomper-magnet (if that were real...)? First, it was Hunny-senpai, then it was Tamaki, and now it was Jenna. I wasn't _that_ popular; but still, it was nice to know that people even noticed me.

"Hey, quick question, you guys," I began. "Why are you two wearing the boys uniform?"

"We weren't too fond of the female uniform," the sisters answered in unison.

"I'm not much of a dress-wearing person," Meghan explained. "Only on certain occasions of course."

"And I just don't like the color yellow," Jenna added. "But, the blue in this jacket really brings out me eyes!"

Her sister rolled her eyes at her perky twin, who proceeded to spin around humming a random tune to herself. Haruhi had taken the time to slip away from the two sisters to head on to class, but I knew that she would be ambushed by the other set of twins once she got there. It was difficult to believe how different Jenna and Meghan were even though they were twins. They didn't even act the same. As I thought more on the subject, Hikaru and Kaoru were the same way, even though I hadn't quite spotted all of _their_ differences.

As soon as the bell rang, breaking Jenna out of her reverie, she grabbed her sister and bid me a cheery farewell before towing Meghan down the hall along with her. As soon as the two disappeared around a corner, I sighed and continued down the hallway toward my own class. Yes, I was going to miss a lot once I was gone.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Can you guys believe it?" Maya cheered. "After graduation, we'll all officially be juniors!"

"I know, right?" Taylor answered. "It's hard to believe how fast this year has flown..."

While the two of them continued to babble on about graduation and parties, I gazed out the window at the courtyard; just another one of the things I'd typically do whenever I wanted to enter my own world and contemplate on things.

I still couldn't shake the feeling that I would soon be a junior, and if next few years flew by as fast as this one, I'd be graduating High School and traveling off to college. So much had occurred over the school year, and it was difficult to believe that I would never set foot on the Ouran campus again. I'd be back home in America, cooped up in my room for six hours every day, staring at my computer screen.

When I was home-schooled, I felt like I was inside my own little haven, a place where no one could harm me; but now that I've been through what a real school was like, I realized how much I've been missing out on my life. At the time, I thought I had all the school experience I needed, but I was far from being right. I had no social skills, or social life for that matter, so it was no wonder why I was so shy the first couple of months into the school year. I was unsure how to make friends, and I was always worrying about what others would think of me.

Now, even I've come to notice that I've opened up a lot more; I have good friends, no... _great_ friends, both male and female. They were friends that were there whenever I needed someone to talk to, (plus, they were my age), and they wouldn't dare take a step to betray me. I've come to be able to trust them all; but now, with three weeks to go, I would be traveling on the plane to America, like a free stallion roaming the meadow to a tamed show-horse.

"K.C.?" a voice spoke, interrupting my thoughts.

Startled, I jerked my head over to find Tao, who had pulled up an empty chair beside my desk. That was one of the downsides of zoning out into space to think: I had absolutely no clue what was going on around me.

"Hey, Tao," I spoke managing a weak smile. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," she answered. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I was just thinking about school next year."

"Huh? Oh, right..." Tao glanced away for a moment, and then sighed and glanced back up at me. "Are you sure you're only here for a year?"

"As far as I know," I answered.

"But, Fujioka-senpai has a full-term scholarship, and he'll be here until he graduates High School."

I stopped myself before correcting Tao that Haruhi wasn't a "he", or else her secret would be out. Well, at least she knew my secret; it was better mine than Haruhi's, which made me wonder how long the hosts could keep up their act and continue to convince the girls that Haruhi was indeed a boy.

"Well," I began. "Maybe because he's from Japan, and I'm a transfer from America."

"True," Tao agreed. Then, she sighed, "It's just won't be the same without you, K.C.."

"Tao, I've known you since the first term; and believe me, I've noticed that you've changed since then. You were closed up like a clam, but then by the third term I walk into the classroom and see you chatting away with Taylor and Natalie." I gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you'll hold up fine; besides, you've still got my e-mail address, right?"

The brunette returned my smile. "Yeah. Thanks, K.C.."

"Anytime, Tao," I answered.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Geez, I wished that classes didn't fly by as fast as they did! Maybe that was why this year was flying by...

Anyway, once again I found myself picking up the props the hosts would need for whatever cosplay they were holding today. I did manage to sneak a peek inside the box to find a couple pairs of sandals and twined wreathes that looked as if they could be substituted as a headband. Aside from the clothes were some fancy pottery with pictures engraved on them, especially those with men in chariots, and one of a man fighting some half-human half-bull monster. I wasn't quite certain what kind of cosplay the hosts were planning, but I decided to allow it to slide as I continued down the hall.

As soon as I approached the Third Music Room, I pushed down the handle with my elbow and used my back to push the door open. Once I was able to slip into the room, I gazed around at the decorations that had already been set up. The curtains had been replaced with long, silk white, translucent drapes while statues of men and women stretched from the floor to the ceiling. (How the hosts even managed to bring them into the room, I'll never know...). Some of the statues wore armor, mainly the men, some of them with animals, and one of the statues wielded a lightning bolt. Fancy lounge chairs replaced the typical sofas in the room, while the chairs and tables were replaced with polished tables with their typical velvet chairs.

"Ah, Katherine!" the all-too familiar voice of the club president spoke. "So glad you came!"

I glanced over to fine Tamaki and a few of the other hosts dressed in white robes, togas to be exact, wearing sandals and the wreathes were placed around their heads. For some reason, the decor and the outfits seemed familiar; however, I couldn't remember at the moment.

"Hey, senpai," I spoke. "I love what you guys did with the place. Although, I'm not quite sure what the theme is. I mean, I've seen something like this before, but I'm not sure where."

"You don't know?" Tamaki answered with a smile. "Well, it's our Ancient Greek theme, of course."

"Oh, yeah, now I remember," I spoke. Then I glanced up at him. "So, what made you guys want to do a Greek theme?"

"Why not?" the club president answered with that sly smile. "Greece, the birthplace of philosophy and the Olympics. Not only that, but they created outstanding architecture and highly detailed sculptures! Even though the Romans later conquered them and copied everything from the gods to their architecture, the ancient Greeks still remain the root of modern society today."

"Sooooo... you guys are trying to revive the Greek era?"

"Exactly so. Plus, why have the girls be entertained by their regular host, when they can relax and be hosted by a Greek god?"

Something in my gut told me that _that _was one of the main purposes of this theme. Of course, Tamaki was all about making every women happy, or so I've heard; but, I've seen it when he's hosting. He doesn't pull out his charms to make it with the ladies, he does it because he understands how rough school is and he just wants the girls to relax and enjoy themselves (no matter how high their hormone level is...).

I sighed, deciding to change the subject. "So, where do you want the rest of these vases, senpai?"

Tamaki placed a hand to his chin in thought as he scanned the room. I waited patiently for his answer, no matter how much my arms felt like they were going to fall off. However, I held back the urge to drop the box for fear of breaking the valuable vases and adding another chunk of yen to my debt. With little time I had left in the school year, I had a feeling that remaining yen wouldn't be coming out of my own pocket...

After what felt like an eternity, the club president gestured over to a couple of milk white pedestals placed in the room. "Just place the vases on those. Of course, you may arrange them however they fit."

Without hesitation, I knelt down and placed the cardboard box on the tiled floor, opening it to draw out one of the vases. I glanced around the room, and then back down at the intricately designed pottery in my hand before walking over and setting them on top of the pedestal. Then, I traveled back over to the cardboard box and drew out two more vases to place in the room. It was more difficult placing two vases because the pottery was fairly large that I had to carry them under my arms. When I set one down and then proceeded to the next pedestal, my elbow knocked the pottery off the platform.

I gasped as I turned around and attempted to reach for it, but sadly missed. Oh, God this cannot be happening! Everything seemed to occur in slow motion as I stared, gaping at the pottery, and I closed my eyes tight, awaiting that echoing smash on the ground. After a few moments, all was quiet. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I opened my eyes and glanced up to find the female host member holding the vase in her hands.

I sighed with relief. "Thanks, Haruhi. That could've been messy."

"Trust me, I've been there," she spoke, placing the vase on the platform.

After that, Haruhi offered to help me set up the rest of the decorations in the room, which I gladly accepted. Besides, we never spoke much because of my busy schedule, so this was a great chance for us to chat.

"So, how does it feel to be a rising senior?" I asked, assisting her with hanging up a rustic, woven tapestry.

"I just can't believe it," she answered. "I mean, I can still visualize myself first entering the clubroom."

"And knocking over the vase?" I answered slyly.

"Yeah," she answered. "But, I've grown used to the clubs antics."

"That's understandable."

The two of us descended the ladder and hauled them over to the next wall to hang another tapestry. This one wasn't as large as the last one, so it didn't take long for Haruhi and me to hang it up and then descend the ladder.

"So, how is everything with you and Zuki?" Haruhi inquired.

"Oh, we're still good friends," I spoke. "I know it's been a while, but I think he's taking things slow, which I understand."

"You guys haven't had any other dates since the last time have you?" a pair of voices inquired.

Haruhi and I turned to find the Hitachiin brothers leaning against one of the many Corinthian columns in the clubroom. Both of the twins were dressed in their togas, while wearing their sandals and their wreathes.

"No, we haven't actually," I answered. "Of course, school has been busy for both of us."

"What do you see in him exactly?" Hikaru inquired rather coldly. "I mean, you take the time to dress up all fancy, and he just takes you out to a simple commoner's restaurant and then out to a movie."

"Hikaru!" Haruhi hissed.

"I'm just saying," the older twin answered. "If it were _me_, I'd impress my date as much as I can."

"Well, for your information, Hikaru," I began. "Kazuki is a really nice guy who accepts me for who I am. And, unlike any of the other wealthy kids in this school, he actually likes being casual and going to 'commoner places' like a restaurant downtown."

Hikaru rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

After that, he turned and walked off, leaving his brother with us. I was taken aback by the older Hitachiin's behavior. Never, during my entire school year at Ouran Academy, had I seen Hikaru act so... cold. On top of all that, he looked as if he were about to blow up with anger or something. Well, at least he walked off before he could. What puzzled me the most was why Kaoru didn't follow after him.

"What's up with _him_?" I asked.

"He's probably just in one of his moods," Haruhi answered.

I glanced over at her confused, but she only shrugged.

"Even though Hikaru's the older twin," Kaoru began, "he still has a lot of growing up to do."

I stared up at the younger Hitachiin surprised. So, Kaoru was the more mature one of the two of them? It was hard to believe since he was younger.

"Does he typically come close to acting like..._that_?" I asked.

"Sometimes," Kaoru answered. He glanced across the room at his brother, who sat in one of the chairs listening to his MP3 player. "Hikaru just has trouble with confessing his feelings. Most of the time he'll bottle them up and eventually blow up in front of someone."

"Like back in Karuizawa?" Haruhi inquired.

Kaoru nodded.

I thought over that the younger twin said. So, Hikaru wasn't the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. He just brushed his emotions to the side, or so he thought, until he couldn't take it any longer and unleash everything on someone. But, what Kaoru said about Hikaru admitting his "feelings"... did that mean...?

"Hey, Kaoru?" I asked, glancing up at him. "You don't think that-"

"Five minutes until hosting hours begin," Kyoya's voice broke through the silence. "You three should be preparing yourselves, especially you, Johnson."

I scowled at the Shadow King as he passed us, and then stuck my tongue out as his back. Why was it that every time I was close to discovering something about one of the hosts that I never knew, Kyoya always had to come along and interrupt the moment? Sighing, I walked passed Haruhi and Kaoru, making my way to the kitchen.

"K.C.?" the younger twin's voice called out.

I turned to him. "Yeah, Kaoru?"

"What were you going to say?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh... nothing..." I answered. "I... forgot..."

I grinned sheepishly, and rubbed the back of my head with my hand. Haruhi and Kaoru exchanged glances but then shrugged and turned, joining the other hosts. Kaoru of course, strode over to his brother, probably to chat with him about his behavior. I turned back around and made my way towards the kitchen.

As I grabbed my apron, thoughts began to fill my mind. Was Hikaru jealous of Kazuki? If so, did that mean that Hikaru, no matter how deep down, had... feelings for me? When did he even start having feelings for me? I never really was paying attention... Then again, why would he and his brother have set me up with Kyoya, twice, if Hikaru had a fondness for me. I sighed and shook off the confusion.

Nothing made sense anymore...

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as hosting hours were through, I cleaned up the kitchen, and then double checked to make sure I completed everything. After that, I hung my apron up and grabbed my book bag making my way out of the room. There were a few boxes set up in the middle of the room, most likely ready to be taken back to storage. The hosts continued to tear down their decorations and neatly pack them away into the prop boxes.

All of the hosts were teamed up together, taking down the tapestries or the statues, which turned out to be hollow replicas. That was when I noticed that Hikaru wasn't teamed up with anyone; instead, he was packing away the vases and drapery, which he folded hastily massing them up somewhat. Was he still upset about earlier?

Knowing that his little chat with his brother probably didn't solve much, I grabbed the leftover pottery, wary not to drop them; then, I carefully set them down in the boxes, organizing them so that they would all fit.

"You know, you shouldn't rush yourself," I spoke to the older twin. "Haste makes waste you know."

Hikaru only growled and continued to fold the drapery. I sighed. _Stubborn as a mule..._

"Look, Hikaru," I spoke standing up. "I understand that you're jealous of Zuki-"

"Who said I was 'jealous'?" he snapped.

"Nobody," I answered with a smirk. "You just made it obvious."

"So?"

"Hikaru, listen... I understand that you have trouble with your feelings, but that's what friends are for. Besides, I never like to see my ani upset."

The older Hitachiin twin froze at the statement, and then glanced down at me surprised. I only smiled up at him as the two of us stood there for a few moments. Both of us knew that that was the exact same thing that he and Kaoru said when they were taking me home from Kyoya's mansion (except it was them saying imouto). Nonetheless, Hikaru was still my friend, my older-brother figure, and I wouldn't trade him or the other hosts for anything else in the world.

After a while, Hikaru returned my smile, and then the two of us packed the remaining vases in the box. Most of the boxes had been taken to the storage room already, leaving two more to take down the hall. I offered to take them both, but Hikaru insisted that I just take one and he and Kaoru would gather the other. Well, at least it was nice to know that he was back to his typically self.

Carrying the box down the hallway, I began to think over the day, especially that afternoon. It was true that you learned something new every day, especially things that may surprise you. I was still unsure if, and when, Hikaru began to develop feelings for me, but I brushed the thought to the side knowing that he was fine now that I understood.

"So, this is what you do during club hours?" a menacing voice spoke, interjecting my thoughts.

Startled, I whirled around to find none other than the Pre-Madonna, Kimiko, casually leaning against the corner. She had that sly smirk on her face as he flipped her long, jet-black hair over her shoulder. Her hazel eyes gleamed with mischief and mayhem as she stared me down. That was when I noticed that she stood right across from the storage room. How in the world did she even know where I was going?

Dismissing the thought, I turned to her. "Kimiko-san. What brings you here? Club hours are through with, aren't they?"

"Of course they are. I'm not stupid," she answered curtly. "I just thought I'd have a little chat with you on your way to drop of the props from the Host Club."

"Well, that grea-"

I stopped in mid-sentence as her reply ran through my mind again. How did she know that I was packing away the props in the storage room? More importantly, how did she even know that I was carrying the props from the Host Club?

"Wh-what are you talking about?" I inquired.

"Don't play dumb with me, Katherine," Kimiko answered, walking up to me. "In fact, don't even try to hide it. Now, I understand why you enter the Music Room before Hosting hours, but are never there during the time. You're the club's personal foot stool."

My eyes grew wide as the color drained from my face. _How does she know?_ I pondered. Had Kimiko been stalking me this entire week? Why would she even bother discovering my secret as to why I was helping out the club?

"Y-you have no proof..." I stammered.

"Actually..."

"...we _do_."

Startled, I whirled around on my heel to find Ochira and Momoka behind me with identical smirks as their leader. In Ochira's hand were a set of photographs of me helping set up the clubroom, and some of me in the kitchen. Momoka held a camcorder, which I assumed had been hidden somewhere in the clubroom and recorded me attending my afternoon routine at the club.

I just couldn't believe it. Even though I left Kyoya alone so that he and his fiancé could attend to their wedding plans, or whatever they did together, Kimiko was still out to do whatever she could to take me down and bring me down to her level. There was no other way around this. These girls had all the evidence they needed for blackmail, or whatever they were going to do to me.

Sighing in defeat, I turned back to their leader. "What do you want from me?"

Kimiko smirked. "Well, fist of all, you can never, ever, talk or go anywhere near my fiancé. Secondly, you have to carry my books to and from my classes. And finally, you have to do obey my every bidding."

"And if I _don't_?" I asked.

The diva strode over to her lackey and took the photographs from Ochira's hand. "Let's just say that I have connections with the Newspaper club. You don't want a replay of the Fright Night Aftermath, do you?"

I swallowed hard. Man, did this girl know how to get her way or what?"

"All right..." I mumbled.

Kimiko grinned with satisfaction. "Excellent." Then, she handed the photos back to Ochira and continued: "Now, I typically arrive at the campus ten minutes early, so I expect you to be here by tomorrow morning five minutes before me. Got that, sweetheart?"

"Yes, ma'am," I muttered.

"At least you're getting the hang of respect, you commoner."

After that, Kimiko spun on her heel and strode down the hall with her two hench-women tagging along behind her. I sighed and continued my way down the corridor until I reached the storage room. Just when I thought the end of the year couldn't get any worse. I'd have to finish up my homework and get enough sleep to arrive at school fifteen minutes early. Typically, I arrive at school around five minutes early, so now I had to get there another ten minutes!

Well, three weeks and it would all be over.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I couldn't believe this! This whole week had been one living hell! That morning I had to sit and wait at the front entrance for over ten minutes, only to have Kimiko come up with an excuse why she was "late". Today it was "Oh, I couldn't find my other earring, so I spent most of my time looking all over for it..." blah, blah, blah. I scoffed just at the mere thought. Lost earring my foot... Excuse for being late for this, excuse for being late for that...

Then around class time, I had to carry her bag to her morning class, and then after lunch I had to carry it again to her afternoon class. Something told me that she purposely put rocks in her baf just to make my day more miserable than it already was. How did I know there were rocks in there? Kimiko was a second-year in Haruhi's class, and I've lifted Haruhi's bag before; much lighter than the Pre-Madonna's.

If I could find some way out of this blackmail, some sort of loophole, I could probably manage to free myself from her tyranny.

Once lunchtime came around that Friday, I gathered Tao, Jenna, Meghan, Taylor, and Allyra together for a group meeting. Why I chose the five of them... Well, Tao was obvious because she was my best friend, and the rest were those that I could trust and either have seen or experience something with Kimiko. All of them seemed to understand, like they had been there done that, but most of them seemed to volunteer to take her down.

"Why is she even tormenting you, K.C.?" Taylor inquired.

"It's a long story," I answered. "But, I'm starting to get sick and tired of her teasing, manipulation, and all her gossip."

"She's been like this since Middle School," Tao spoke. "I think that someone needs to stand up to her and teach her a lesson."

"True that," Taylor answered. "I may not have crossed paths with Kimiko, but I have overhead some of her gossip."

"Yeah, Kimiko is such a-" the sisters began.

But, they were cut off by the red-head. "Meghan! Jenna! Don't say what I think you two were going to say!"

"What?" Meghan spoke innocently. "You know she is one."

"Besides," Jenna added. "She needs a taste of her own medicine."

"But, what could we do?" Allyra pondered.

Silence filled the air as the six of us sat at the lunchroom table pondering over what we would do to get back at Kimiko. Even though revenge isn't always the key to winning a battle, it was always needed when your opponent needed to change his/her ways.

"I know!" the twins spoke together.

"We could dig a pit outside and fill it up with saltwater, adding in some great white sharks," Meghan added.

"Of course, we'll cover the tank with the classic camouflage tarp," Jenna added. "So, when Kimiko walks over it..."

"_Crunch!_" The two sisters ended together.

The rest of us stared at them, most of us surprised, while the other taken a back. Okay, that was something that I would expect from Natalie, but definitely something I'd never expect from the female twins. Of course, leave it to the Maple sisters to plot their revenge against their enemy when the only idea they come up with is their opponent's death.

"We're planning payback for Kimiko," Tao spoke blandly. "That doesn't necessarily mean that it has to involve violence..."

"Well, that was the best we could come up with," the female twins spoke flatly.

"But, you know," I spoke to the group. "I trap does sound like a good plan." A sly smirk crossed my face as images formed in my mind. "And I know exactly how it'll be set up."

With that, I drew out my sketchpad from my bag and opened up to a blank page. The other five girls hovered over the page, but allowed my some elbow-room to sketch out the plan. I drew a map of the school hallways first, and the rooms within it. They were mainly the halls of the second-year, and third-year rooms, along with the clubrooms, and I drew little stick figures of us at certain positions.

The five of us would confabulate and tweak our plan until we knew that it was full-proof. So, we made two options incase one didn't work out, the other one would nab her. Once everything was organized and complete, the six of us scanned the picture and exchanged sly glanced.

"All right, guys," I spoke. "Here's what we'll do..."

**~ . . * . . ~**

Afternoon classes flew by that day, and I stood outside of the second-year's last classroom waiting on Kimiko. My class had actually ended a few minutes early, giving my enough time to pack away my bag in my locker before traveling down the corridors to the second-year district. The Host Club was actually having another one of their "days off" to play around in the courtyard, which was a huge relief off my shoulders because that meant that I didn't have to prepare anything that afternoon.

Standing against the wall opposite of the door, I couldn't keep that grin off my face as I continued to think over the plan. It was sure fire, it was full proof, and it was going to work or so help me God... Releasing a few deep breaths, I managed to calm myself down just in time for the bell to ring.

As soon as Kimiko walked out, she shot me a confused look. "What're _you _doing here?"

"I was just thinking that you needed some help carrying your things to the Stellar Club," I spoke.

"Actually," she spoke with a smirk, "I was thinking about going to the Host Club today."

"Oh, really?" I asked, feigning surprise in order to hide my smirk. "You know they're taking the day off today."

"I know, but the weather said that there may be a few pop-up storms," Kimiko countered. "So, in case the hosts decide to come back in, I'll be ready for them. Besides," she added with that malicious grin. "You can show me how you bake and decorate those cakes."

As infuriated as i was with her at the moment, I managed a smile. "Sure thing."

Holding out her book bag to me, she shook it a few times gesturing me to carry it. I stared at the bag and then at her. We weren't walking to, or from, classes, so why would I need to carry it for her?

"Are you going to take it, or not?" she inquired curtly.

"Well, I just thought the deal was for to and from classes," I answered.

Kimiko shot me a venomous glare that sent chills down my spine. "What part of 'I have connections with the Newspaper Club' did you not understand?"

"Y-yes, m-ma'am," I spoke, taking her bag nearly falling to the ground from the sudden weight. "But, may I suggest that you put everything in your locker. I mean, it's such a hassle to carry all these 'books' all the way to the Music room when your locker is right around the corner."

Kimiko glowered at me skeptically, and then pondered for a moment. "All right," she spoke with a shrug. "BUT! You're still carrying it."

With that, she sauntered down the corridor to her locker while I followed her. These rocks in her back were really starting to strain my arms and back out, but I ignored that pain and watched as the black-haired girl spun the combination on her locker.

As soon as she opened the door, a boxing glove on a spring immediately punched the unsuspecting girl in the face sending her stumbling backwards. I held back the urge to laugh, no matter how much I wanted to. Kimiko growled and stomped over to her locker to grab the glove on a spring. After much difficulty, she managed to rip the spring off the back of her locker, still fuming.

Slowly turning her head, she glared at me. "_You_ didn't have anything to do with _this_, did you?"

"No, Kimiko-san," I spoke.

"Then who?" she snapped.

"Maybe... it was a belated April Fool's joke?" I suggested.

The raven-haired girl stared down at my skeptically before snatching the bag and tossing it into her locker. After slamming the metal door shut, she stormed over to the nearest trash bin and hurled the glove attached to the spring inside it. Then, she stormed down the hallway towards the Third Music Room with me following in tow. This plot was working just as we planned it. Spring-Glove down, now all that was left was...

Kimiko shrieked as a tiny, wet roll of paper hit her face. She gave a disgusted face before continuing on down the hall. I gave a thumbs-up to Jenna and Meghan, who were hiding in the trash bins we passed, with straws in their hands. The two sisters loaded a few more wads of paper into the straws and aimed it towards the Pre-Madonna. Instantly, Kimiko was pelted with more spit-balls before taking off and running down the hallway with her hands over her head.

The female twins' laugh could be heard echoing from the two trash bins, but soon died down as I reached Kimiko.

"Someone's up to something!" she exclaimed. Then she turned to me and stared down at me with her piercing hazel eyes. "I don't trust you at all, Katherine. In fact, I think... no, I _know_ you're the one behind all of this. So, allow me to let you off with one more warning. If I get caught in another one of your little pranks again, say goodbye to the Host Club because I will have you expelled!"

After that, she whirled around on her heel and stomped off, while I only stared at her and smirked.

"Too bad," I muttered to myself. "You're not going to miss the grand finale."

After that, I caught up with Kimiko, who stood in front of the door to Music Room 3. She stood there with her arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently. When I approached her, she glared at me.

"So, are you going to open it or what?" she inquired.

Wordlessly, I walked over to the large, double doors and turned the golden handle. Just like planned, the entire room had been cleared out. There was no furniture or decorations in the room; just the tiled floor, pillars and ceiling. I peered in, as if making sure that there were no traps; but, I actually was looking for Taylor, who soon snaked her head around one of the giant columns in the room. She gave the thumbs up, and I nodded.

"Well, Kimiko-san," I spoke, glancing over my shoulder at her. "It looks like the coast is clear."

"It's about time," she grumbled, shoving me to the side and striding into the room.

I followed her as she stepped into the middle of the room and glanced around skeptically. She continued to wander around the clubroom, but I quickly rushed up to her, realizing that she was far from where she was supposed to be when Taylor launched the "Grand Finale".

"Well, I guess the club won't be meeting in here for the entire afternoon," I spoke, grabbing her wrist and tugging her to the spot. "Maybe we should just leave now."

"Wait a second," Kimiko snapped, jerking her arm out of my grasp. "I know what you're up to."

At this time I was ignoring her, and I glanced over at Taylor, giving a nod. This was it.

"I thought I told you, if you played one more little prank on me-" Kimiko continued.

But she was cut off when a giant cupcake the size of what seemed like a horse dropped down on not only her, but on me as well. The two of us managed to tear through the thick dough and pop out to the surface covered in green icing. Kimiko sputtered and wiped the icing off her face with her hand, and gazed down in horror at her icing stained uniform.

"LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE!" she exclaimed.

"Surprise!" I spoke. "Happy Birthday!"

"IT'S NOT MY BIRTHDAY!" she retorted.

"Oh, well then, uh..." I trailed off, thinking of excuses for a giant cupcake to drop on her. "Happy _Early_ Birthday."

Kimiko snarled and clenched her hands into fists so tight that it made her knuckles turn white.

"...Belated?" I added, chuckled nervously.

"YOU LITTLE-!" Kimiko shouted.

And with that, she pounced on me slamming me into the ground. Luckily the breading of the cupcake was able to cushion my fall somewhat, but then the two of us began rolling around in the icing, smearing it all over the floor and our uniforms. Meghan, Jenna, Tao, Allyra, and Taylor came out of their hiding places and watched the brawl, debating whether or not to get involved. After scratching each others' face or arms and pulling at each others' hair, I was able to free myself and stand with my group.

"I should've known you'd ally with others to go up against me," Kimiko mumbled. "But, I swear, Katherine, by tomorrow, I'll have you expelled and you won't be helping out your precious Host Club any longer. On top of all of that, I'll have Kyoya all to myself. Do you hear me? I WON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH YOU ANY LONGER!"

"On the contrary," a deep, male voice spoke from the doorway, "You'll still be seeing Katherine until the end of the year."

The seven of us glanced over to the open door way to find Kyoya leaning against the frame with that sly grin on his face.

"K-Kyoya..." Kimiko whimpered, scrambling to her feet but failing (obviously on purpose).

Kyoya held his hand out to assist her, which she accepted without hesitation. As soon as she was gazing in his eyes, she threw her arms around Kyoya and began breaking down in tears (totally fake...). I rolled my eyes at her act, and I'm sure the other girls may have detected it too.

"K-K-Kyo-ya..." Kimiko stuttered though 'sobs'. "K-Katherine, she... she was playing harmful tricks on me. Please, do something to her..."

With that, she turned her head and glared at me, while I scowled right back. Taylor, Allyra, and Tao struggled to hold the twin sisters back from rushing over and beating the snot out of the girl. I stared at both Kyoya and Kimiko together. He seriously wasn't going to fall for her trick was he? I doubted it. Kyoya wasn't like that; of course, anything could happen when Kyoya was involved, so I wouldn't get my hopes up just yet.

The corners of his mouth curled up into a smirk. "It's such a shame that beautiful girls aren't always so beautiful on the inside."

Immediately, Kimiko released him, and stared up at Kyoya with a confused look. "Wh-what?"

"You've been blackmailing Katherine with photos of her working here at the club," the Shadow King answered, adjusting his glasses.

Kimiko gazed up at him wide-eyed and took a few steps back. "N-no I didn't. You have no proof!"

Kyoya only grinned and gestured over towards the doorway. All of us turned our attention towards the open doors where the rest of the Host Club stood with Ochira and Momoka, who were being held by the twins.

"Here's the photos, Kyo-chan," Hunny spoke, bounding up to the Shadow King.

"And the video," Mori added.

"Thank you, Hunny-senpai, Mori-senpai," Kyoya spoke.

The two cousins nodded and joined the other hosts in the room. Kyoya scanned over the photos and then took out the CD from the video recorder. The light from the chandeliers reflected on his glasses as he gazed down at Kimiko who was now white as a ghost. I smirked to myself; she probably had never visited Kyoya's "Demon Side".

"I'm sure this is all the proof I need," Kyoya spoke with that fake smile.

"B-but... but I..." Kimiko stammered, glancing around the room.

"Yes?" Kyoya pressed on.

The raven-haired girl swallowed hard, knowing that she was now in checkmate, and then she released a deep breath. "So what if I've been blackmailing her? I know her little secret. And I'll make sure everyone else does too!"

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Kyoya chided as he reached into his bag and drew out another set of photographs.

As soon as I was able to see what they were of, I gasped in shock. One was of Kimiko, Momoka, and Ochira paying monkey-in-the-middle with me while tossing a vase, the second was of the three of them ganging up on me in the hedge maze and ruining my dress, and the third one was of me carrying Kimiko's book bag, which I presumed came from earlier that week. So, Kyoya knew about all these incidents. Well, he might have discovered them later...

"You've had it in for Katherine for quite some time now, haven't you?" Kyoya inquired.

"Well, I... uh..." Kimiko stammered.

"If you spread any gossip about Katherine working for the club," the Shadow King began again. "I'll be sure to let the Newspaper Club know that the most popular girl in school isn't all sugar and spice; and also, the engagement will be off."

Kimiko gritted her teeth together as she glanced down at the ground. "There's no need for _that_." She she snapped her head back up and glared at him. "The engagement's off! You and I are through, Ootori!"

After that she dashed off passed Kyoya while the twins released her lackeys, who proceeded to follow her down the hall. I stared after the girls, and then back at Kyoya, who began to pack away the photos into his book-bag pocket. The hosts showed up at the right place and at the right time; but... how did they even know about our little plan. I glanced over at the other host club members, who only returned my gaze with a warm smile. When I turned to the other girls, they too had smile on their faces.

"Okay, so we kinda passed the plan on to the hosts," Allyra spoke.

"But, they still needed to know about this," Tao added.

I smiled and nodded. "Thanks guys."

"GROUP HUG!" the female twins exclaimed as they glomped me.

Taylor, Allyra, and Tao joined in, and soon the hosts were in the group hug as well, except for Kyoya, who was busy jotting down notes in his book like always. We stayed like that for what seemed like hours, but I never wanted it to end. Sadly, it did, and now some of the girls had icing stains on their uniforms; of course, they told me not to worry about it and that they had extras at home.

"I can't believe our plan actually worked, you guys!" I exclaimed, excitedly. "Allyra, Tao, that glove thing in her locker was epic! Jenna, Meghan, I loved the spit-balls. And Taylor..." I trailed off as I gazed at her. "I thought you said you were making a giant pie..."

"Well, when it comes to pranks and gags, pies are pretty common..." she answered."So, that's why I went with a giant cupcake instead!"

The eleven of us stared at her for a while, but then I smiled and shrugged. "I can't argue with that logic."

"You do realize that either way, you'd have to stay after club hours to clean up your mess," Kyoya spoke, not glancing up from his notebook.

I froze at the thought. Seriously? Well, I didn't want to give the janitors a hard time; plus, this was the Third Music Room where the Host Club was mostly held.

"Don't worry, K.C., we'll all help ya out," Allyra spoke.

"No, don't," I answered, gaining a ton of bewildered expressions. "I got you guys into this mess, and the plan was mostly my idea-"

"But, we followed out with it!" Tao interjected.

"Still, I don't think that it would be right for you guys to clean up after me, even if we were _all _cleaning," I spoke calmly. "Besides, there's the science test next week, and that art project coming up..."

Taylor instantly froze at the thought of the art project, and then she laughed nervously.

"Listen, you guys," I spoke. "Thanks so much for helping me out to day. We make a pretty awesome team."

"A pretty _badass_ team," the female twins corrected.

"What did I tell you two about swearing?" Allyra exclaimed.

The sisters stuck their tongues out at her, while the fuming, red-head began shouting and chasing the two girls around the room.

I sighed and then turned to the remaining group. "Well, I guess I'd better get the mop..."

**~ . . * . . ~**

It had been about ten minutes since I came back with the mop, and, yes, it was the old-fashioned kind that looked like a bunch of strings that you dunked into the cleaning liquid in the bucket. (Seriously, was there no such thing as Swiffer Wet-Jets here?). Everyone else had already left for home while I stayed to swab up the icing stained on the floor. Kyoya of course had to stay behind also, just to make sure I completed my work and didn't slack off.

My arms felt like lead half-way through mopping, and all I wanted to do was go home and get some rest so that I could sleep in the entire weekend. I still couldn't understand why Kyoya would even bother to blackmail Kimiko with pictures of the times she and her lackey harmed me. Was he just using the pictures as evidence to prove her guilt, or... or did he truly care for me and didn't want me getting hurt.

Typically, I would scoff at that thought, but I thought over it a couple times, I realized that Kyoya wasn't as heartless that afternoon up until he confronted Kimiko for her wrongdoing. Maybe, just maybe, Kyoya had been thinking over everything I had told him.

Releasing a sigh, I turned towards the Ootori boy at his computer. "Hey, senpai?"

"Yes?" he answered, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"Look, I just wanted to say..." I trailed off as I pieced my words together. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for disrespecting you, back in January at Lobelia, _and _last month. It... it was uncalled for."

"Apology accepted," he answered. There was a few moments of silence, which I then continued my work until Kyoya began again: "Anything else?"

"Um, yeah..." I began lamely. "Thanks for, you know, earlier."

"My pleasure," he answered.

Why was it that whenever I wanted to talk to Kyoya, he only spoke two or three words per sentence? As I thought over what I told him, the events of him and the other hosts rescuing my from Lobelia, and then back during my date with Zuki brought up questions in my mind. First and foremost: Why did he even do it, or agreed to do it?

There was only one way to find out: "Senpai?"

"Yes, Katherine?" he answered.

I froze, realizing that that was the first time in two months that he addressed me by my name. I blushed, but glanced away hoping that he wouldn't notice. "I was just thinking about... about what happened back at Lobelia, and during my date with Kazuki..."

"And?"

I gazed up at the ceiling and then released a deep breath before turning back to him. "Why did you even do it?"

"Simple," Kyoya spoke. "If you were transferred to Lobelia, you'd have to pay off the rest of your debt some other way..."

"Can you come up with any _other _reasons?" I asked blandly. "Reasons that _don't_ relate to anything about my debt or being the club's personal chef."

Kyoya paused in his work for a moment, but then began typing again, "No."

I growled at him. Something in my gut told me that was a complete lie, but I shrugged it off. "Okay... what about when you agreed to go with the other hosts to spy on me during me date? Why did you agree to do that?"

The Shadow King continued to type, as if he were ignoring me; of course, he could've been pondering more excuses. During the slight silence, I thought of my own reasons why Kyoya joined the club members. One, Tamaki forced him to (which was a possibility); two, Kyoya was doing something else downtown and just so happened to cross paths with Tamaki. (Nah, not likely); or three...

My eyes widened as I thought over the third reason. As much as I was in disbelief, I had to know the truth.

"Senpai," I began, "were you _jealous_ of Kazuki?"

At that moment, Kyoya stopped typing. His fingers lingered, hovering above the keyboard, while his eyes remained glued to the bright screen. Moments passed, but neither of us said a word; heck, Kyoya didn't even continue his typing. I smirked, knowing that I had him caught; of course, Kyoya was a sly one, as far as I knew, so I had to be cautious of the logic he threw back at me.

After what felt like an eternity, Kyoya adjusted his glasses and continued typing. "Of course not. At the time I was engaged."

I scowled at him. "Well, it was just a thought."

"You always have 'thoughts'," Kyoya spoke, and even thought I couldn't see it, I knew his smirk lit up his face. "You have thoughts all the time, that's why your mind wanders off every once in a while-"

"ZIP IT, OOTORI! OR DO I HAVE TO SMEAR YOU IN THIS ICING?" I threatened.

The Shadow King turned to face me with that stupid smirk still on his face. "I doubt that there would be much to smear, considering the fact that it's almost cleaned up."

I gritted my teeth together and pointed the mop at him. "Wipe that smile off your face, or do I have to wipe it off for you?"

"I have two hands," Kyoya answered, turning back around. "I have full ability to wipe my own smile off if I wish."

"Smart-alec," I growled, resuming my work.

* * *

**Finally! Midnight to 7 again... Well at least that's done...**

**So, what do you think K.C.?**

**K.C.:** Did you throw in the HikaruxMe pairing just in this chapter?

**Actually, if you read the story over a few times, you can see slight hints of Hikaru coming onto you.**

**K.C. *shudders*:** I don't think I want to read it now...

**Anyway... Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!**

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_**Sneak Peak for 39:**_

_As soon as I exited the building, I traveled out into the courtyard where I promised Kazuki I'd meet him. I was still curious about what he wanted to talk to me about; but, of course, I would find out all in due time. So many thoughts began buzzing around in my mind like a swarm of bees; actually, more like a swarm of wasps..._

_As soon as I reached the courtyard, there stood Kazuki underneath a weeping willow tree._

_"Hey, Zuki," I spoke walked up to him. "You wanted to talk to me about something?"_

_Kazuki glanced over at me, and then back down at the ground. He sighed, and then stood straight up and glanced down at me. "Listen, K.C., I know we've been good friends for a few months now, and we've only been on one date so far. And..." he trailed off as he glanced around, while I waited patiently for him to continue. "And, I really do like you, K.C.. Not 'like you' as the friend kind, but... but the 'like you-like you' kind. What I'm trying to say is..."_

_Once again, Kazuki trailed off and turned away from me. Why was he acting so nervous? _

_After a while, Kazuki released a deep breath and then turned back to me with a warm smile, "K.C. ... will you be my girlfriend?"_

_

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**Replies to the Reviews from the Last Chapter:**

**Shan-Shan XP: Thanks! Haha yeah. Kaito.. yeah, he's something else... I'm not much of a yaoi fan either, but he and Mori would definitely work out together!**

**Ogden writer: Thanks!**

**HarutaYari: Phew... I'm glad I didn't screw him up! Thanks! I will. **

**Moonlight's Shadow Warrior: Haha! You two are just too funny! But, I will consider your little scheme...**

**silverrain1312: Thanks! Hey, NP. OH, and congrats!**

**Toni Heart: Actually... no... You're probably forgetting her appearance.**

**Witty-Little-Readhead: Haha1 Yeah he sure is something else... Yeah Kyoya can be a real pain in the a** **

**i'mthenewCAKEPIG: Yeah, the twins are actually my second fav out of the bunch :3. AHH! Don't hurt me with Mister Sp00n!**

**AllyraMortlock: Yay! Happy day for you! It s fine, really. Nbd. Yeah, that was a much better idea with Kaito. kudos to harutayari for him ^.^. Anywayz, Haha! Yeah that would've been hilarious!**

**Aurora-16: It's totally fine! I still need to review your chapters thought! GAH! I'm not too good with updates either... ^.^'' Thanks! And sorry about the sneak peak, but of course, you never know what to expect when those come around. ;). Yay! Thanks!**

**pres1111: Lots o' drama!**

**Snow n' Cupcakes: Hey, no big deal! I totally understand. Especially about being sick. That's never fun...**

**perfect-piscies: Thanks! Updates are every weekend!**


	39. Words I Couldn't Say

**Welcome back, everyone!**

**All right, first off... I'd like to thank Shan-Shan xP for brainstorming a couple of joined-names for the different pairings in this story. They were sooo AWESOME! I know that joined names are typically used for real shows and characters, but it's such an honor for OcxCharacter/OcxOc joined names to be thought up! Thanks Shan-Shan!**

**So... With **_**that **_**in mind... I decided to come up with the joined names for all the different pairings in the story. You guys can be a fan of more than one. ^.^**

**KyoRin (KyoyaxKatherine/K.C.)**

**ZuKa (KazukixKatherine/K.C.) - I really liked this joined-name, Shan! :)**

**SaTao (SatoshixTao)**

**KimiKyo (KyoyaxKimiko) - Yes, I came up with a joined-name for them too.**

**HikaRin (HikaruxKatherine/K.C.) - Hey, I'm sure some of you guys would like to see **_**this**_** one happen ;)**

**K.C.: **HikaRin? Are you trying to pair me up with a character that's not even cannon to your story plot?

**Hey, the writer can do anything he/she wants to the characters, whether they're the main ones, or the OCs**

**K.C. *sighs*: **Just continue the Author's Note….

**Okie-dokies!**

**HEADS UP:  
Okay, so this chapter has not **_**one **_**song, but two in them! Yayz! ^.^ Of course, what happens is that the lyrics of the song are split up with the dialogue in between them. I just wanted you guys to know that what is going on, or being said, in the text is happing at the same time as the lyrics are being sung. Also, the song is actually going to be in bold italics so that the italics plus the regular text won't confuse you guys! :)**

**Anyway, enough of my babbling... On with the story!**

**OCs USED IN THIS CHAPTER:**

**Kazuki Takeda (**_**Queen Violet of the Underworld**_**)**

**SONGS:  
"Hello My Beautiful" - Vic Mignogna  
"Je N'ai Pas Des Mots" - Vic Mignogna**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, or its characters, and I do not own any other OC used in the story except my own. Also, I do not own the songs used in this chapter.**

**CLAIMER: I own all of my OCs**

**

* * *

**

**~ Chapter 39 ~**

**Words I Couldn't Say**

If only time were able to be stopped, just for a few moments... It always seemed like when one was looking forward to something, the days would drag on forever until that time came; of course, when one never wanted that time to end, the hours would fly by until, without warning, that day would finally arrive, no matter how much it wasn't desired to occur. Sadly, life never worked out that way.

As I looked back on my school year at Ouran Academy, my first goal was to make the best of every day. Even though the days were always tedious and rough, especially in the afternoon, the hosts always helped make the best of it, especially when I wasn't even expecting what they were going to do. It was either a typically day at the Host Club, with/without cosplay, or the Hosts decided to take the day off and whisk Haruhi and me off on "vacation".

I was lucky enough to earn a scholarship to a prestigious school such as Ouran, but I was even luckier to make such trustworthy friends like the hosts and some of the others in my class, and/or outside of my class. At the beginning of the year, I was always worked up about what everyone was going to think about me, even when I attended the Host Club every so often. But then along came that day where I broke Kyoya's glasses and had to work for the club. Sure, the afternoons were exhausting, but I soon grew used to the hosts and loosened up. I guess that if it hadn't been for them, I never would've really fit in with everyone else.

Now, it's come to this. Only two more weeks until I would be out of this place for good. I made the most of my days here at the Academy, especially spending time with the ones I've grown close to; but even as looked back on the school year, I still couldn't believe that time had just slipped through my fingers like that. I always tried to keep my head up and look forward to the day instead of graduation, but my ears were never able to draw away from the other students, chatting about graduation (half of them were girls upset about Tamaki going off to college... Go figure...). During those time, I would find a quiet place outside to gaze around the blooming scenery and wonder why the year had to be drawing to an end.

Well, all I could do was set aside the fact that I would be leaving, and spend as much time with my friends as I could.

Slamming my locker shut, I spun the combination before turning and heading down the hallway to class. I heaved in a yawn as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, but then winced as a jolt of pain shot through my wrist. Lowering my hand, I gazed down at my bandaged wrist, the consequence of hauling around Kimiko's rock-stuffed bag last week. Too bad it was my right hand too, because I would be in for a world of pain while taking notes.

"K.C.!" I voice echoed down the hall.

Curious, I stopped in my tracks and turned around to find the honey-blonde junior dashing down the halls towards me. I smiled at him as he stopped in front of me and leaned over, placing his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

"Hey, Zuki," I spoke. "What's up?"

"Nothing much," he answered, standing back up. "Just thought I'd stop by and chat for a while, since, you know, we didn't get to chat much last week."

"It's fine," I spoke, waving my hand dismissively. "Last week was pretty hectic for me anyway."

Kazuki smiled, but then it quickly faded. "What happened to your wrist?"

Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I glanced over at my injured hand to find that it was the one I waved. I mentally smacked myself for, once again, being an oblivious idiot. That was the one thing I prayed that no one would notice all day; but because of my little slip-up, I had to come up with something.

I glanced up at the high school junior with a reassuring smile. "I just sprained it. No big deal."

Well, at least it was a white-lie, so, hopefully, I wouldn't have to explain how I had sprained it. I sure didn't want to cause any more trouble for Kimiko, especially since that I was now most likely number one on her hit-list.

"Hey, listen," Kazuki spoke, breaking the brief silence. "You wouldn't mind if I walked you to class, would you?"

I smiled; but before I could reply, another voice cut me off: "I do apologize for the interruption, but Katherine has her hands full at the moment."

Both Zuki and I shot a curious glance in the direction of the voice. As soon as my eyes landed on its owner, I just wanted to strangle him. There, with that stupid grin on his face and the light reflecting from his glasses, stood the Shadow King.

"Oh, Ootori-senpai," Kazuki spoke. "Good morning."

"And to you as well, Takeda-san," Kyoya answered with that fake smile.

"So, senpai," I began, forcing a smile on my face attempting to block the irritation bubbling up inside me. "What brings you here?"

The Shadow King smirked and adjusted his glasses. "You and I have important business matters to discuss, Katherine-san."

I mentally sighed knowing full well that he was talking about the Host Club. Kyoya actually hadn't stopped me with the _meet-by-the-lockers-and-discuss-the-plans-for-the-club _ordeal in over a month, so I began to wonder why begin now. As I thought more on the subject, I began to ponder how much more yen I needed to pay off before graduation. Hopefully, there wasn't too much.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Kyoya-senpai," I spoke. "But, Zuki offered to walk me to class already, so we can discuss these 'matters' later today."

"Actually, K.C.," Zuki began. "It's fine with me if you need to take care of something important."

Surprised, I gazed up at the boy. "But, Zuki, you asked first."

"Still," the boy protested, "if it's _that_ important, I wouldn't want to get in the way. Besides, we can chat later today, right?"

"I guess..." I trailed off, glancing down at the ground.

Kazuki gave me a reassuring smile. "So, how about lunch?"

"Sounds good," I answered, smiling up at him.

"All right, I'll see you then."

With that, Kazuki walked down the hall passed Kyoya and I towards his homeroom. I watched as his figure grew smaller the further he traveled down the corridor until he finally turned at a corner, disappearing out of sight. Once again, Kyoya ruined the moment. He just had to butt in at the exact time. Where did he come from anyway? I never did see, or hear, him walking down the hall. That's the Shadow King for you, though, always popping up when you least expected him.

As soon as I was sure that the halls were vacant, I growled and then whirled around to Kyoya. "What the hell was that for, senpai? Kazuki and I were in the middle of a conversation, and you just had to interrupt!"

"I have my reasons," he replied coldly.

Seriously? Was that always his answer for everything? Did he actually expect me to take his answer for granted? Like hell, that was going to happen! It was always his reasons, or resources, that answered nearly every question that was asked; but, I knew that wasn't it. His 'reasons' were just a blockade hiding the truth and I planned to find out what it was before the end of the year.

Folding my arms across me chest, I gazed up at him expectantly. "Like what?"

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Well, for one thing, your duties to the club come first before any idle chit-chat among you and your peers."

"Since when?" I retorted. "I've talked with my friends before, and you never seemed to have a problem with it."

"At that time, the club wasn't as busy. Since graduation is drawing near, the club -by that I mean Tamaki- is trying to put together a spectacular event for the Host Club the day before graduation."

"So, in a way he's putting together his own 'Going Away' party?"

"In a sense, but you may be unaware of the fact that the club will continue hosting until its entire members graduate. That gives the club one more year at Ouran Academy before it will be shut down permanently."

My eyes widened at the thought. No Host Club after Haruhi and the twins graduate? It was difficult to believe since so much had occurred over the past two years the club has been running; well, I only knew about this year while Haruhi filled me in about the previous year. Still, the Host Club had changed a bunch of lives, especially mine. Without it, high school would return to its typical, drama-filled, peer-pressured, self.

Of course, that led to the thought about serving the Host Club. "So, you had 'important business matters' with me, senpai?" I asked.

"That is correct," he answered. "The club is going to hold another cosplay tomorrow; and because of the decorations needing to be set up, the club won't open until an hour after its regular opening hours."

I eyed him skeptically as silence fell between us. Seriously? Just another update about the club? How was that _important_? Well, Kyoya may have said "important" just to hide the fact that I was secretly working for the club from Kazuki, which I could understand; however, it seemed to me that Kyoya was trying to shoo away Zuki from me just so that he could speak with me in private.

After a few moments of silence, I spoke up: "Anything else?"

"No," Kyoya answered. "That's all, Katherine."

As if on cue, the bell rang, echoing through the halls. I shouldered my bag and strode down the hallway, resisting the urge to turn back around and knock the Ootori boy's lights out for interrupting Kazuki and I. Well, hopefully classes would fly by this morning so that lunch would come around and I would finally be able to chat with Zuki. We hadn't spoken all last week, mainly because I was busy serving the prima donna; but, since that matter had already been taken care of. I could chat with the junior student as much as I wanted, hopefully this time without any interruption.

**~ . . * . . ~**

The warm sun hung in the sky above the pastel pink building, with no clouds to block its view of the earth. The trees were fully coated with lush green leaves while flowers budded in their pots, or on the bushes. Half of lunchtime had passed, and I met up with Kazuki outside. From there, the two of us strolled around the gardens and around the campus outside taking in the full beauty of spring.

I inhaled the fresh spring air, and sighed dreamily. "It's such a nice day out."

Kazuki nodded in agreement. "Everything's in full bloom. Soon the cherry blossoms will be here."

I sighed at the thought. The first time I saw the cherry blossoms in full bloom was at the beginning of the school year. I still couldn't believe how much time had passed since then.

"I'm sure going to miss it all..." I spoke softly to myself.

"What do you mean, K.C.?" Zuki asked.

I glanced up at him, realizing that I never mentioned that fact that I wouldn't be at Ouran the following year. The only ones who've known so far were the hosts and Tao, and that was pretty much it.

"Well," I began. "I'm sure you know that I'm the transfer student from America, but, even though I love it here in Japan, I'm not able to come back next year."

The blonde boy stared down at me surprised. "How come?"

"As far as I know, I only have a one-year scholarship here," I answered. "I mean, I'd love to come back, but it's just too pricy." Of course, I gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I won't forget anyone, or anything that's happened to me this year. It's been a great experience."

Kazuki nodded his head understandingly, and then he faced down the cobblestone pathway as the two of us continued our stroll. It was nice to finally chat with Kazuki without interruption for once. The first time was during our date when the hosts had been stalking us the entire evening; and, of course, this morning was just as bad, except it was just Kyoya.

Seriously, why in the world did he have to intrude on that moment? Did Kyoya really want to have an "important discussion" with me, or did Kyoya not want me around Zuki? I rolled me eyes at the thought. He wasn't my parent. I could talk to whoever I wanted to, whenever I wanted to.

"Hey, umm... K.C.?" Kazuki asked breaking the silence.

I stopped and turned to face him, realizing then that Zuki had stopped a few steps behind me while I nearly continued on without knowing it. Damn it! Why were my daydreams always distracting me...

"Yeah, Zuki?" I answered.

"Listen..." he began, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. He paused as he gazed around, while I tilted my head waiting for his answer. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask you for the past few weeks..."

"Which is...?"

The high school junior exhaled deeply as he stared at the ground. What was up with him? In the past months I had known Zuki, never had I seen him hesitant or at a loss for words like this. As far as I've know, Kazuki was more open and laid back, sarcastic at times, but always there to make anyone smile. Well, he made me smile anyway. There was just some warm aura he gave off that made me feel comfortable around him. Now, he was acting like a child who was plotting up a lie to cover up a broken window incident.

As soon as Kazuki set his hand back down by his side, he face me once again; however, when he opened his mouth to speak, the chiming of the bells in the clock tower echoed through the entire campus. Great... another moment interrupted... Well, the tardy bell wouldn't ring for another five minutes, so Zuki had plenty of time to answer.

"You were saying..." I began.

"Ah, don't worry about it now," the boy spoke, waving his hand dismissively while grinning. "Class is about to start; but after school lets out, we'll meet back here and finish our chat."

I smiled back. "Well, it'll be after club hours for me, but I'll be sure to meet you here, Zuki."

Then the two of us walked into the building together but then traveled out separate ways to class. Of course, after club hours, the two of us would be brought together again; and then I'd finally be able to know what Kazuki was going to say to me, hopefully this time without any interruption.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I released a heavy sigh as I propped myself up on the counter with my arms. While hosting hours was going on, everything in the kitchen was a living hell for me; more than it usually was. First of all, it took me about five minutes to find the sugar, since it wasn't in its usual spot in the cupboard; then, one of the icing bags broke, so I had to rummage around to find a new one; and on top of all of that, my wrist hurt like crazy! All of that put me behind schedule, so I was receiving one hell of an exercise; hell, I'll even admit that I almost burned the cookies! Well, now that the club was finished, I could finally catch my breath and take my time cleaning up the kitchen.

That took another fifteen minutes; but as soon as I placed the last dish in the cabinet, I sighed. Today just hadn't been one of my days. Now that it was finally through, I could meet up with Kazuki on my way home, so he could finish telling me what he was going to say before we were interrupted by those god-forsaken bells.

"Okay, you guys," I called out, stepping into the clubroom. "I'm heading out."

There were a few waves of good-bye, just from Hunny and Mori though. Tamaki was too busy forcing Haruhi into a costume, which I presumed was for tomorrow's cosplay; and the twins were entertaining themselves in a hand-held video game. I managed my way passed them in a breeze, so all that was left was getting passed Kyoya, who, like always, sat at a table conveniently located near the door. His back was turned to me while his fingers fritted across the keyboard, as he engaged himself in whatever work he was doing on his laptop.

I glared from the corner of my eye at him as I walked by, but thankfully, he didn't stop me. That was strange, even for Kyoya. Typically, he would stop me just before I exited the clubroom to make sure I completed my chores and everything else. But no, he just continued to type away.

Eyeing him skeptically, I walked over to him and peered over his shoulder at his computer screen. He seemed to be typing up some kind of document with lengthy paragraphs. By my estimation, he was probably typing up an essay for his class. As much as I wanted to inch closer and read it, I didn't want Kyoya to grow suspicious; nevertheless, I shuffled forward ever so slightly just to make out the first few words on the page.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't invade my personal space, Katherine," the Shadow King's voice grumbled.

I instantly froze. He didn't even have to look back to see who it was. Well, I guessed that I was close enough to be breathing down his neck; but still, how did he even know it was me? If I were him, Tamaki would've been my first guess.

"I just wanted to make sure you were still alive," I answered, standing up. "I've been standing here for a while-"

"I know," he answered.

He knew? Seriously? I stared at him puzzled. Why didn't he stop me like he normally would? Maybe he was too busy to stop his work and talk to me. That was a no-brainer. But, even while he was working, he found the time to stop me and dismiss me from the club. As much as I hated it when he did that, it just didn't feel right when he didn't.

I sighed. "Well, I just wanted to let you know that everything's finished."

"Good," he answered, continuing his work and not bothering to turn around to face me.

An awkward silence fell between the two of us with the only sound emanating from the keyboard every time Kyoya pressed a key down. Something about Kyoya just didn't seem quite right. I continued to stare at the back of his head while pondering what he could've been thinking about in the complex mind of his. He sure didn't sound like he was in the mood for games or anything for that matter; and I doubted that he was upset with any of the hosts (by which I mean Tamaki). This wasn't his typical '_if-you-don't-leave-me-alone-and-let-me-work,-you'll-pay-for-it'_ attitude; _this_ was something completely different. I just couldn't figure out.

"Don't you have things to attend to?" Kyoya inquired coldly, breaking through my thoughts.

Snapping our of my reverie, I stared at him confused but then realization struck me. _Crap! Zuki must've been waiting ages for me!_ I thought. I lost track of time with cleaning, and was so worked up about getting out of the clubroom that I failed to remember that i had to meet Kazuki on my way out of school.

I sighed and then turned towards the door. "Well, two more weeks of this and then I'll be through with working for the club." I thought out loud.

"Actually, tomorrow is your last day," Kyoya spoke up.

My eyes widened at his response, and then I turned back to the Shadow King surprised. He only continued typing, while his eyes were glued to the screen. Tomorrow was my last day working for the club?

"Senpai," I spoke.

But, Kyoya cut me off: "After tomorrow, you'll be free to do whatever you wish. You may spend your afternoon however you'd like, and with whomever you like."

I stared at the back of his head wide-eyed. Tomorrow was my last day... Even as the thought ran through my mind, I still couldn't believe it. Had I paid off my debt already? Then, a thought struck me. Didn't Kyoya say something about the hosts' big even next week? Wouldn't he need me for then?

"Don't worry about the club, Katherine," the Ootori boy spoke. "We'll manage just fine next week."

Once again he used the old mind-reading trick; however, I was still in shock that Kyoya would be letting me off the hook... two week _before_ graduation! I thought for sure he'd keep me until then; but no, he was letting me go tomorrow. Even as I continued to stare at him, I still couldn't believe that after tomorrow, I would finally be free.

Sighing, I shouldered my bag and walked towards the door. "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, senpai."

No reply. What in the world was he so upset about? Shrugging the thought off, I strode out of the clubroom and worked my way down the hall.

One more day... one more day and I wouldn't have to set foot in the Host Club ever again. As great as it sounded, it actually pained me more. If I was told the news at the beginning of the year, I would be ecstatic and throw a party in my apartment; but now... now was different. Sure it was exhausting to work at the club; but after the first few weeks, my life changed. I was living a double-life, keeping it a secret from my classmates and closest friend.

But, so much happened that changed me. I was more open, that was for sure. I didn't take any crap from anyone. Typically, I would take it for granted and wait until I came home before the situation took full effect on me; but now I was able to stand up for myself. Of course, it was hard to juggle my social life with my friends, while, at the same time, trying to focus on not wrecking the kitchen in the Music Room. (Even now, I still don't understand why there's one in there...). ON the plus side, I made new friends, got caught in crazy adventures, found love...

I blushed at the thought. I _did_ find love, and after that came the heart ache. Kyoya just confused me. Everything he did to me was confusing. He kissed me, but then he went back to his cold, icy self; then, he does something nice for me by repairing my bracelet. But, once again, he turns me down and says that he's engaged; of course, now that the engagement's off, he's a free man to do as he pleased.

That was when I began to wonder. This morning, Kyoya interrupted my chat with Kazuki; and when he was speaking to me earlier, he sounded rather ticked off. It was as if he knew where I was going after club hours. As I thought more on the subject, Kyoya _did_ join the hosts when they stalked me on my date with Zuki. Why did he do that? Why _would_ he do that? Kyoya wasn't jealous of Kazuki.

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks, and then glanced over my shoulder at the doors to the Third Music Room. _Is he?_

If he was, it was obvious. That would explain everything. But, why would he? Did Kyoya not want Zuki with me? Or... or did Kyoya... want to be with me? I gazed down that the carpet as I continued down the halls, and then glanced around the extravagant hallways, pondering more on the subject.

_Why would he want to be with me?_ I pondered. _I'm most likely not his type. What does he even see in me? Profit for the club, obviously. I mean, I am their "personal chef"; that's always his reason why he can't allow anything to happen to me._ I stopped once again at the thought. _Or... is it more of an excuse than a reason?_

My face began to reddened involuntarily, as I glanced down at the floor. So, all this time... every time something happened to me... Nearly drowning, abducted by the Zuka Club... Kyoya actually cared about me? How long? During the first term, he kissed me... twice! But, was that just to get on my good side? Or, was there more? My brain was buzzing with thoughts that I couldn't think straight.

_What was I doing again?_ I wondered, gazing down the hallway. Then, realization struck me. _Oh, right, Zuki!_

With that thought, I dashed down the corridors and down the stairs. On the way to the front entrance of the school, I prayed that he was still waiting in the courtyard for me. I made him wait long enough, and I couldn't make him wait any longer.

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as I stepped out into the cool, spring night, I leaned against the side of the building catching my breath. Stairs can give you one hell of an exercise! As soon as I was able to catch my breath, I strode into the courtyard and searched around for the blonde-headed junior. I just prayed that he hadn't left for home already, no matter how much I made him wait for me. I felt so stupid that I was so busy talking with Kyoya and daydreaming on my way out the door that I completely forgot that I was supposed to meet Zuki out here.

Once I turned the corner, I sighed with relief. There stood Kazuki leaning against the trunk of a grand weeping willow. He had his head hung as if he were deep in thought. Well, at least I wasn't too late!

"Zuki!" I called out, racing over to him.

The blonde boy jerked his head up, probably startled from his thoughts. He smiled as I slowed down to a walking pace and propped myself up against the tree to catch my breath.

"Sorry... Zuki..." I spoke between breaths. "I... I didn't... I didn't mean to make you wait... forever on... me."

"It's fine, K.C.," he answered. "I actually just got out of my club a few minutes ago."

"That's good," I breathed. Then, I stood up straight with a smile. "So, you were going to tell me something earlier today?"

"Umm... yeah," he answered.

Kazuki paused for a moment as he rubbed the back of his head and glanced away. I stood where I was curious to know what he was going to say to me during lunchtime. Moments passed, but they felt like hours! I was tempted to break the silence between us, but I didn't want Kazuki to feel rushed if he was just now collecting his thoughts together.

After what felt like an eternity, Kazuki released a deep breath and glanced down at me. "Listen, K.C., I... I know we've been good friends for a few months now, and we've only been on one date so far... So..." he trailed off as he gazed off into space, while I patiently waited for him to continue. "And, I really do like you, K.C.," he resumed, glancing back at me. "Not as in the 'like-you' kind, but... but it's more of the 'like-you like-you' kind..."

Arching an eyebrow, I tilted my head as I gazed up at the stammering blonde. What in the world was he talking about? Where was he going with this conversation? _Like-you like you? _I repeated in my mind. What in the world does that mean?

"What I mean to say is..." Kazuki began again.

But then he turned away from me and gazed up at the clear night sky. The crescent moon hung like a fishing hook in the dark sea of glistening stars while the cool, spring breeze flowed through the trees. I stood there for a few more moments, growing a little impatient. What was Kazuki trying to tell me?

Just when I was tempted to press on, the blonde sighed and turned around to face me. "K.C. ... Will you be my girlfriend?"

My eyes widened as I stared up at him. _He wants me to be his girlfriend?_ I repeated.

I opened my mouth to reply, but my voice wouldn't crack a sound. If Kazuki had asked me the same question weeks earlier, I would've gladly said "yes", but... but now something was holding me back. I couldn't quite understand it either. I did like Kazuki, even more than a friend, but what was holding me back not to? What in the world was wrong with me? I truly did like Kazuki, but...

Closing my mouth, I glanced off into space. There faint light shining through one of the windows of the upper level of the building. I knew the map of the school like the back of my hand, so there was no doubt that all the hosts were still in the clubroom. That was when it hit me. As much as I tried to put him behind me, he was still planted in the back of my mind, even when I hung out with Zuki.

Part of me still wanted Kyoya.

A million thoughts began racing around in my head as fast as my heart was fluttering. It was still just a theory that Kyoya, in a sense, had a fondness for me and was jealous of Kazuki; so, maybe, deep down, I had a fondness for the Shadow King, even after everything I went through with him. All this time I had been daydreaming, a way for the brain to escape reality, but never even thought about paying more attention to what my heart wanted. It pained me to turn down Kazuki, but if my brother taught me anything, he always taught me to follow my heart and not my mind.

Sighing, I turned back to face the tall blonde. "Zuki... I really do like you. Honest. Even when we you took me out on that date, I felt something." I noticed Kazuki glow with hope at what i said, which pained me even more knowing that I had to turn him down. "I've really never known what it was like being in love with someone else. I mean, when he returns the love to me, even if he can't express his feelings clearly or right away." I paused to try and piece my words together carefully, knowing that I had to let him down easy (this was going to be hard...). "Listen, Zuki, I really like you, but..." At this moment, I noticed his smile fade. "I do want to be more than friends with you, but... but there's someone else I care about."

The blonde boy hung his head slightly in dismay. "I see."

Gently taking his hands in mine, I gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't take this the wrong way, Zuki. I may not be the one for you, or vice versa. But, I just know that there's someone else out there for you. There's one in this world for everyone."

Kazuki gazed down at me and smiled. "Thanks, K.C. We're still friends right."

I laughed. "Yeah, we're still friends." Then, I released his and adjusted my bag on my shoulder. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Zuki nodded. "See you tomorrow."

I smiled and waved goodbye as I walked off the grass and followed the cobblestone pathway. As soon as I exited through the iron gates of the school, I sighed, and then walked down the sidewalk to the apartment. Well, at least I was able to clearly understand my feelings, so the only problem I had now was talking to Kyoya. Hopefully by tomorrow he would be in a better mood.

**~ . . * . . ~**

This was it. Today was the last day of working for the club. As excited as I was to get the day over with and scream "I'm free!" to the world, I still couldn't help but feel a little disheartened. My life changed because of the Host Club, and I never wanted to go back to the girl I used to be. On the other hand, I've made tons of friends here at Ouran, and I never wanted to leave. Well, all of that would change in two weeks.

As soon as the final bell rang, signaling the end of classes, and the beginning of club hours, I made my way out of the classroom and towards the storeroom to pick up everything the hosts would need for their cosplay today. As much as I wanted time to slow down, I knew that the end of the day would come eventually.

Hauling the heavy box all the way down the hall was a pain in the back... literally. Once I reached the third music room, I groped around for the handle, while trying to balance the box in one arm. Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms grab the box as the warm skin brushed against mine, causing goose bumps to crawl over my skin.

"Let me get this for you," a slightly raspy voice spoke.

Glancing over at the figure, I noticed that he was a male student, but I immediately recognized him by his spiky, ginger hair. "Thanks, Hikaru. That really helps me out."

The figure only laughed and moved the box to the side revealing a pair of hazel eyes and a calm, warm smile. "I'm Kaoru."

I blushed with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Kaoru!"

"Don't be," he answered. "This isn't the first time you've gotten me mixed up with Hikaru."

I chuckled, remembering the first day I met the two brothers. I didn't guess correctly, mainly because they were so identical; but around lunchtime, I was able to discern which of the brothers was which.

Turning the handle, I pushed the large, towering door open to reveal a half decorated room with props, banners, and tapestries lying around on the floor or hanging out of their boxes. Kaoru set the box down on the ground and opened it, pulling out a few folded pieces of fabric and some other tapestries.

"So," I began, while helping him unfold the banner, "how's Hikaru been?"

"Pretty good as of now," Kaoru answered.

I smiled. "You know it's strange when you're by yourself, since I typically see you with Hikaru 24/7."

The younger Hitachiin chuckled. "Well, that was then, but..." Kaoru trailed off as he gazed into space, "but now, Hikaru's become more of his own person."

I nodded understandingly. Twins could easily be mistaken for the other, and I was sure that was what the Hitachiin brothers went through their entire life. If I had a twin, I know that I was be annoyed to my breaking point if I was confused with her. I understood why Hikaru would want to be his own person, he wanted to be seen as an individual rather than a mirror image of his brother.

"Where is your brother anyway?" I asked.

Kaoru smirked. "Well, obviously you wouldn't recognize him at first," he answered. "But, he's been in the clubroom the entire time."

I raised an eyebrow in confusion, and then I glanced out into the clubroom, searching for the missing twin. After spending at least a minute or so of searching, I finally spotted Hikaru, but gasped. Kaoru was right. I never would have recognized him. Hikaru had dyed his hair darker, almost a mix between brunette and charcoal. I had to rub my eyes a few times and blink just to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating.

"Surprised?" Kaoru asked.

"What happened to him?" I inquired.

"Like I said," the younger Hitachiin answered. "Hikaru wanted to be his own person."

I looked from Kaoru and then back across the room at Hikaru who assisted Mori and Hunny with Hanging up one of the tapestries. It was hard to tell that the two of them were twins since now they looked nothing alike.

"Well," I spoke, turning to Kaoru with a smile, "it's great to see both of you showing your true colors." Then, I sighed and glanced away. "I just wish I could stay longer and experience everything with you guys. More importantly, I wish that I could stay at the club's chef for a while longer."

"Come now, Katherine," Kyoya's deep voice spoke as he strode passed Kaoru and me. "I'm sure you'd rather confabulate with your friends than tire yourself with tedious work. Plus, I'm sure you have other plans with Takeda-san."

"Oh, Zuki and I aren't together, senpai," I spoke.

Kyoya halted in place, and remained silent for a moment. "Is that so?" he inquired, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah," I answered. "He confessed to me last night, but... but I had to turn him down. I didn't want to, but something just told me that he wasn't the one." Then, I smiled. "There are other fish in the sea of course, so it's back to the old game of hook, line, and sinker for me."

After that, I scaled the ladder with Kaoru and helped pin the banner in place on the wall. Kyoya helped decorate the clubroom when he could, and as soon as there were a few decorations laying on the ground, I strode into the kitchen and slipped on my apron and prepared the desserts for that afternoon.

**~ . . * . . ~**

I gazed around the kitchen one last time to make sure that I had everything completed, and also to get one last glimpse before leaving for good. I had placed some extra slices of cake in the large refrigerator so that the hosts wouldn't have to worry about ordering any other cakes. Yes, I sure was going to miss everything in the Host Club, and in two more week, I was going to miss it all.

Sighing, I hung up my apron for the last time, and gazed at the colorful stains of icing and some of blood. Yeah, I'll admit that I accidentally cut my finger while slicing the cakes, but that was during the beginning of the year. I gazed at the sterling silver coated appliance in the kitchen before pushing the swinging door open and making my way through the clubroom.

"All right, guys," I called out. "I'm done."

Suddenly, I stopped in my tracks and gazed around at the room. Nothing. There was nothing, or no one in the entire clubroom whatsoever. The decorations had already been taken down, and the boxes were taken back to the storage room. I slowly walked around the large room, searching for any of the hosts.

"Hello?" I called out. "Tamaki-senpai? Haruhi? Kyoya? You guys in here?"

No answer. Did they leave already? Sighing, I picked my book bag up from the sofa and began to walk out of the clubroom... if I could make the first step. As soon as I grabbed my bag and began to lift it up, I fell down into the sofa. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I dumped my bag out wondering what could've caused my bag to become so heavy that I could barely pick it up.

As soon as I discovered the reason, I rolled my eyes. A bowling ball... Really? I sighed and picked up the ball and examined the insignia on the side. _Hitachiin_. Of course... Guess the twins wanted to play one last prank on me before I left...

Setting the ball down on the couch beside me, I picked up all of my other books that had fallen on the floor and stuffed them into my bag. As soon as I grabbed the last book, I raised an eyebrow in confusion. It was a black notebook with a white strip of paper wedged in between two of the pages. A bookmark maybe... Opening to the page that was marked, I stared wide-eyed at what was written.

It was a biography and info about me with notes off to the side on the other page. As I flipped through the previous pages, I found that the same had been done for the other hosts. This could only mean one thing... This was Kyoya's notebook. But, how did it get in my bag? Did the twins put it there as another part of their prank? Or did they want me to read it? Well, as far as I've known, I've never seen Kyoya book mark one of his notebooks, especially with a sliced piece of paper.

Turning back to the page with my information on it, I skim read through everything I knew, especially the summary that Kyoya wrote about me. Then, I noticed a doodle in the bottom corner of the page that hadn't been there before. It was a drawing of a turned page corner with the word "Next" written inside with a little arrow. I remembered flipping through the pages to find that Kyoya wrote more about me, but I stared down at the page hesitantly. It didn't feel right to go through his notes like this. Kyoya treated his notebook like a diary. Still, if I was supposed to read on, then I might as well.

Flipping the page, I found two of the pages with a huge summary written.

_Katherine is one of the most interesting girls I've met so far. Her personality fascinates me. One day she's perky and happy, then the next day she's irritable and distant. She's difficult to figure out, but that's what makes this game more interesting... She does have a tendency to let her temper do the talking; while at other times, she's wise beyond her years. In a way, she reminds me of my older sister, Fuyumi, except my sister doesn't have a short-fuse temper._

_She's helpful to those in need, and can brighten anyone's day. I'll admit that she's brightened my day a few times, even though I never showed it. Most of the time it was because she raked in more profits for the club; while at other times, she was being her kindhearted self. I'll admit that she's ticked me off more than once, but I'm not the type to hold a grudge like she does. Needless to say, Katherine is a complex person, a million colors. She's hard to figure out, no matter how much information I dig up._

I smirked at I read over the last bit of the second page. Kyoya loved knowing things about others, as well as knowing things that others didn't. So, it was nice to hear that I kept him on the edge and had him desperate to know everything about me. Then, I flipped the page, and my heart nearly fell.

_When I see her with Kazuki Takeda, I feel like something is twisting my heart. Without even knowin, my anger will start to boil, and I even snapped one of my mechanical pencils in half after hearing that she was going out with him. Is this jealousy? Most likely. I've felt this way before when I found out that my older brothers had more of a chance at gaining the family company than me._

_That's why I've worked from then until now, doing whatever I could to please my father in order to convince him that I deserved, and had the skill to run, the Ootori Company more than my brothers. I would push myself to study hours upon end; and even though my sister would chide me for working late, I still pressed on. I blocked out every distraction that would keep me from my goal, including my emotions._

_But somehow... Katherine always manages to break through the barrier. Ever since the twins set us up on that date, she's been clouding up my mind that it's difficult not to think about her. Nevertheless, I stride to block her out as much as possible, even when I see her every afternoon. I've hurt her numerous times, most of the time unintentionally; and when we begin to become used to each other again, everything starts to go downhill. It's like a rollercoaster, and it's driving me insane!_

I stared at the page wide-eyed, as tears began to form in my eyes. Was my theory right after all? There was only one way to find out. Turning the page, I found a little bit more text, which looks like it had been written recently, with a piece of white paper folded and taped underneath the text:

_I've noticed that Katherine has always had this question she's wanted to ask me, but every time she gets the chance, she stammers and makes up a lie. It was simple to tell she was bluffing. She never was that great at it. But, I do have a feeling what she was going to ask me... It's the same thing I've been meaning to tell her for a while..._

This got my eagerness at its peak. Has he known? I remember trying to ask Kyoya whether he had feelings for me or not, but I always faltered and came up with something else. I was too afraid to ask him, and I always worried about what he would say. So, does he know?

Peeling the slip of paper out of his notebook, I unfolded it and stared at it in shock. I recognized from the lengthy paragraphs and wordy sentences that this was the same thing that Kyoya was typing up on his computer yesterday!

_Katherine,_

_If you're reading this, I would like for you to know that, first off, I apologize for all those times that I've hurt you mentally. During those times, I'd lay in my bed staring up at the ceiling, wondering "What the hell was I thinking?" I'll confess that, yes, I can be -as you simply put it- a "worm". Normally, I'd reply that that's just the way I am, but no, it's not always who I am. Yes, in the past I have been heartless, conceited, and selfish, but I have my reasons._

_I know we got of on the wrong foot when you began working for the club, but I eventually got used to you making a ruckus with the twins. Ever since the club set off to rescue Haruhi from the Zuka Club, I was surprised that you decided to come along. You wouldn't gain anything from it, but you decided to tag along with the rest of the group._

_Then... I heard you sing._

_The way you multi-tasked with singing and playing the piano was amazing. I've seen Tamaki play the piano before, and he's a natural, but you're voice probably stole the show. It was no wonder they the Zuka Club decided to kidnap you and force you into Lobelia Academy._

_Then there was that evening in Koriyama. Like always, you let your mind drift away from reality without realizing that you glided over to the area of the ice that was thin. I wasn't sure what was going to happen to you after that; but all I can say is... Don't ever scare me like that again._

_We've had our arguments and teasing, but I've come to notice something about you, Katherine. You fascinate me. You're unlike any other girl I've ever met -one of a kind, if you will. During club hours, I'm always surrounded by the typical, squealing fan-girls; but when you're around, I feel more at ease and myself. So, if there's anything I'd like to say to you face to face, I would say this..._

Then, I flipped the paper over only to find that there was nothing written on the back. What did Kyoya want to say to me? I was curious and eager to know that i was actually panicking and digging around in my bag for a second piece of paper. Nothing. This was the only note he had written.

Suddenly, faint music began to echo through the room. I glanced over to the door to find that it was open, giving the tune an easy access into the clubroom.

_**Hello, my beautiful  
It seems I just can't stay away**_

The song was being sung in English, probably so I could understand it. Curious, I stood up with my bag over my shoulder and glanced around the room, wondering if it was coming from the piano in the back.

_**It's been so very long  
That I've felt anything this strong.**_

Yes, it was definitely the sound of a piano, but as I searched the back of the clubroom, I found the grand piano empty and the music playing was even fainter. So faint, that it was more difficult to hear the lyrics. Making my way back into middle of the clubroom, I stood there silent so that I could track the sound of the music.

_**And yet I must be sure you know...**_

_**That I love, love, love you  
I need, need, need you  
I long, long, long to hold you  
In my arms again.**_

_**I'm so, so sad to  
Ever hurt, hurt, hurt you  
I'm more afraid of losing you  
Than anything before...**_

"Tamaki-senpai?" I spoke to myself, as the music entered into a piano solo.

It sure sounded a lot like him, and I presumed that it possibly was the blonde king. Maybe the hosts were still on campus, just in another room. Or, maybe it was just Tamaki. Who knew? I slowly walked down the corridors while the music gradually grew louder the closer I approached it, even as it was switched to a higher key.

_**Heeeeeyy... whoooooah...**_

I soon found an open door with a faint light filtering out into the hallway. As I glanced up at the sign above the door, I realized that it was Music Room 2, the room where I always went to play the piano. Peering into the room, I found the Host Club president sitting on the stool in front of the piano. His fingers grazed across the black and white keys.

"Tamaki-senpai?" I asked, stepping into the room.

The club president only glanced over at me and smiled, while continuing to play the piano.

I gazed around the music room to find that there was a large spotlight hanging above Tamaki, where I spotted the twins on a banister. They flashed one of their devilish smirks, and then Hikaru turned one of the spotlights on me. I shielded my eyes from the brightness, and glanced away.

"Glad you could make it, Katherine," a low voice spoke.

Lowering my arm, I glanced over to find Kyoya in front of me, while the twins dimmed the spotlights somewhat. Before I could ask what was going on, Tamaki began again.

_**I love, love, love you**_**  
**_**I need, need, need you  
I long, long, long to hold you**_**  
**_**In my arms again. **_

_**I'm so, so sad to  
Ever hurt, hurt, hurt you  
I'm more afraid of losing you  
Than anything before...**_

I gazed up at Kyoya. Did the hosts plan all of this? More importantly, did Kyoya choose this song just for this moment?

_**Please can I have one more...  
Hello?**_

As Tamaki pressed the keys of the ending tune of the song, I gazed around the room. The twins had already climbed down the ladder, leaving the spotlights in their place and joined Haruhi, Hunny, and Mori on the ground.

"Senpai," I began, "what is all this?"

Kyoya only grinned and adjusted his glasses. "The main reason for the Host Club is to make every woman happy, Katherine."

So I've been told. I've known that the club helps out those in need, because Haruhi's told me the stories of what occurred last year. The hosts changed everyone's lives for the better, both their lives and the way they saw everything.

"I know _that_," I spoke. "But, really, what in the world is going on?"

"Consider it a way for us to start off on the right foot," the Shadow King answered.

I stared up at him confused. _Start off on the right foot?_ I repeated. What was he talking about? Were we not on good terms with each other? I thought for sure that we were, but I guess that Kyoya just wanted to start from the beginning, start with a clean slate. Still, he didn't have to drag the hosts into his little plot. I mean, we could just hang out, or chat, not rent out one of the school's music rooms.

Before I could protest, Kyoya held out his hand. "Care to dance?"

Instantly, Tamaki took that as his cue to start another song. His fingers matched the tune and tempo perfectly to the song he was playing. At least, that was my opinion. I never really heard the song before...

_**Come near and stand by me, baby  
Close enough to reach out and pull you still closer.**_

Hesitantly, I stared at Kyoya's hand wondering if I should even dare dance with him. I finally understood my feelings for him, as well as his for me; however, I couldn't make a single move.

_**All that is swelling within me,  
Must be a language I've never spoken 'til there was you.**_

I gazed up into the Shadow King's smoky eyes. It felt different to dance with him now than the last time we danced together, mainly because I was wearing heels at the time and didn't have to arch my neck so much. No matter how many times I told myself not to worry, I began worrying again.

_**I fumbled...**_

Suddenly, there was a gentle push on my back and I tried to retain my balance...

_**...try but I stumbled...**_

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to keep my balance for long, and I fell into the awaiting arms of the Shadow King. My face began to turn every different shade of red possible. It was a replay of the dance back in December...

_**...over all my heart wants to say now.**_

I gazed up at Kyoya, still blushing like mad; however, he only smiled and set me upright. Taking my hands in his, he guided my right hand to his shoulder while he held my left one, extending it slightly. At the same, he placed his hand on my waist and led me into the dance.

_**Je n'ai pas de mots  
Nothing seems to say the way you move me  
Rushing through me**_

I kept my eyes glued our feet as I refrained from stepping on Kyoya's foot. That would be terrible, especially after doing it on accident with Kazuki. I was with the Shadow King now, this was different.

_**Je n'ai pas de mots  
But a promise has been made, you can believe this  
From the first kiss**_

Once I got the hang of the moves, I glanced over at the others hosts. They sat in vacant seats that lay about the Second Music Room and smiled warmly while watching Kyoya and I dance together. Even Hikaru was smiling.

_**It's good that I don't have to speak to know that it's real  
Je n'ai pas de mots**_

I released a deep breath, and averted my gaze from them. I wasn't sure if I was heating up from embarrassment, pressured by everyone else watching, or the spotlights shining down on me. Heck, it could've been all three.

"Having fun?" Kyoya's voice, broke the brief silence between the chorus and the second verse.

_**Come near and talk to me, baby**_

"I guess..." I answered. "I didn't really see any of this coming."

_**How did you know you were the dream of this dreamer?**_

"Good," Kyoya spoke with a grin, "that means it was still a surprise."

_**Oh, God, how I thank You for reading  
In my heart the note I didn't even know that I wrote**_

As I listened to those lyrics, I thought struck me.

_**Of what I longed for...**_

"I read your notebook, senpai," I spoke, rather ashamed.

_**You gave me much more.**_

"You were supposed to," he answered.

_**Love is standing beside me.**_

I stared up at Kyoya surprised, so I _was_ supposed to read his notebook, as well as his letter. No wonder why the twins left it -plus the bowling ball- in my bag. It was part of the plan. Kyoya probably figured out that i didn't read everything that he wrote about me, so that was why he set it up so that i could read it; plus the note, and boy was I glad that did.

_**Je n'ai pas de mots**_

"So it was all set up then?" I inquired.

Kyoya nodded.

_**Nothing seems to say the way you move me**_

"You might as well have known," he explained.

_**Rushing through me.**_

I sighed. "Listen, senpai, I'm sorry for not understanding it earlier."

_**Je n'ai pas de mots**_

"That's quite all right," Kyoya answered.

Then, he gazed off into space.

_**But a promise has been made, you can believe this**_

"I was actually close to tearing up the note in there," he added.

I stared up at him astounded as well as confused. "Why?"

_**From the first kiss**_

Then, Tamaki switched to a higher key as the tune raised slightly to a crescendo.

_**Je n'ai pas de mots**_

Kyoya sighed, but didn't speak for a while.

_**Oh! Nothing seems to say the way you move me**_**.**

"I thought I was too late," he answered.

I smiled as I gazed up at him. "Kyoya."

_**Rushing through me.**_

But he cut me off as he gazed back down at me, "I've tried to hide it. I've tried my hardest to let go-"

At that moment, I reached my hand up and placed my finger to his lips to silence him.

_**Je n'ai pas de mots**_

Kyoya stared down at me puzzled by my sudden behavior, but I only smiled.

_**But a promise has been made, you can believe this**_

Without a word, I removed my finger from his lips and slipped his glasses off.

_**From the first kiss...**_

Carefully folding the hinged ear-pieces down, I stood on my tip-toes with my eyes closed. Cupping his chin in my hand and inclining my head slightly, I moved my head towards his. I'll never understand what even compelled me to do this. But, I found myself planting a small kiss on the lips of the Shadow King.

_**It's good that I don't have to speak, to know that it's real**_

As soon as my heels rested on the floor again, I gazed up at Kyoya with that smile still on my face. As for the Shadow King, he seemed rather dumbstruck as our eyes locked onto one another. I only smiled up at him, and, eventually, he returned it with his own.

_**Je n'ai pas de mots**_

Kyoya slid his hand around the back of my head and pulled out the scrungie in my hair.

_**Je n'ai pas de mots**_

Then, the Shadow King stroked the side of my face with his hand and leaned his head towards mine, while I once again stood on the tips of my toes. So many thoughts were racing around in my mind, just as fast as my pounding heart. This was actually happening!

_**Je n'ai pas...**_

Kyoya and I gazed into each other's eyes once more, and then I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, running my hand through his thick black hair. Afterwards, I found Kyoya's lips sealed over mine in a passionate kiss, but what made it more amazing was that I was actually kissing him back!

_**...de mots.**_

Tamaki ended the song, while everyone else in the room gave a thunderous applause. I partially ignored it, until Kyoya and I broke for a breath of air. For the next few moments, we only gazed into each other's eyes. I still couldn't believe that I had given my very first kiss to Kyoya. Words couldn't explain how amazing that moment felt.

"May I have my glasses back now?" Kyoya inquired, breaking into my thoughts once more.

I mentally slapped myself realizing that he most likely couldn't see a thing without them. "Right... sorry, senpai..."

With that, I handed him his specs. Kyoya smiled as thanks, and then slipped them onto his head.

"So, I guess we're okay then?" I asked out of the blue.

Kyoya only chuckled. "Yes, K.C., we're 'okay'."

"Good, because I-" I stopped mid-sentence as his reply ran through my mind. "Wait... did you just call me...?"

The Shadow King only answered with that sly smirk on his face, making me blush.

"Well, now that everything's settled," Tamaki spoke, breaking through out little moment. "We might as well head home, it's late."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow... in the hallways maybe..."

"Allow me to take you home, K.C.," Kyoya voice spoke, stopping me before I exited the room.

I smiled up at him. "Thanks, senpai, I'd really appreciate it."

"My pleasure," he answered, adjusting his glasses. "And, you don't have to refer to me as your 'senpai'."

Arching an eyebrow, I gazed up at him confused. "But, we're on school grounds..."

Kyoya smirked. "I'm well aware of that."

Still confused, I gazed up at him; but then I shrugged it off and bid everyone a farewell before leaving with Kyoya. Of course, I had to retrieve my bag from the clubroom, after nearly forgetting that it was there, and gave Kyoya his notebook back. Afterwards, Kyoya and I made our way thought the building and out the main entrance, where one of Kyoya's limos sat there waiting for us.

Kyoya allowed me to slide into the vehicle first, which I gladly accepted; and after giving his driver the address, he slid in beside me. Butterflies were still fluttering around inside me after everything that occurred that evening. Well, at least I understood Kyoya's "reasons", and finally opened up to him.

"So," I began, after a long period of silence. "I guess we're boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

"Well, let me put it this way, Katherine," he spoke, adjusting his glasses. "Either you become my girlfriend or my little, black book gets published."

And there goes the romance... The window of the limousine wasn't even rolled down and the moments still managed to escape Kyoya's blackmail. Then, a thought crossed my mind.

"Wouldn't you be affected, Kyoya?" I asked.

Then, that sly smirk crossed his lips. "Did I mention that I have _more than one _notebook?"

I froze at the thought. So there was more than one of those stupid black books? I should've known...

"I guess I have no choice there, do I? But," I added with a smile. "but, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Kyoya returned my smile and snaked his arm around my shoulders. I gave a small yelp as he pulled me towards him, but soon relaxed once I found my head resting on his shoulder. I smiled and nuzzled myself against him, inhaling the fragrant cologne he was wearing. Apparently he had applied it this evening because I didn't even pick it up on him earlier today. Well, all that mattered was that I finally gave up the nerve to tell him how I felt. Now that I thought over it, I really didn't even say anything...

**~ . . * . . ~**

Everything that occurred that evening remained embedded in my mind. I could vividly picture everything that occurred from the scene, the song, and even the moment I felt myself kissing Kyoya. I still blushed every time that scene played in my mind, but i couldn't help but smile.

Even though I didn't work for the club, I still stopped to chat with the hosts whenever we passed by each other in the halls, and Kyoya would give me a ride home in his limo every other day. My life couldn't get any better than this; but even though it was at its best, I still had one week until graduation at the end of the month. Nevertheless, I decided to make the best of it.

That afternoon, I strode down the hallway to the third music room, carrying a box full of decorations that the club would use for their "spectacular event". Even though the box was fairly heavy, I kept a smile on my face until I reached the clubroom. My smile turned into a smirk as I turned the knob and pushed the door open. They weren't suspecting a thing.

"Hey, guys!" I called out. "I'm here!"

Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and glanced over at the door; and once they saw that it was me, they stared at me confused. I only smiled at the seven of them and set the box down on the floor.

"K.C.-chan!"

Brace for impact. Immediately afterwards, the little Lolita boy held me in a tight hug, while I laughed along with him. Boy, I sure missed Hunny's death-gripping hugs last week...

"What're you doing here, K.C.?" the twins asked together.

I smiled at the two of them while the Lolita released me, and then I stood up. "What's it look like? I'm helping you guys decorate the club for your event."

"Katherine, you don't have to..." Tamaki began.

"I know, senpai," I answered. "But, I _want _to. Family has to help each other out right?"

Tamaki smiled, and nodded his head in agreement.

Afterwards, I helped pitch in with the rest of the club, hanging the banners on the walls, arranging the tables, and set up everything else that needed to be set up in the clubroom. I must say that after being away from the Third Music Room for a whole week, nothing felt the same. Come to think of it... I actually felt more a home when I was a round the hosts whether I was in the Host Club or not.

Glancing around the clubroom, I sighed, wishing that God would slow down time for me... just this week. Then, I carefully climbed down the ladder.

"Katherine?" the Shadow King's voice spoke once I reached the ground.

"Yeah, Kyoya?" I answered, turning to him.

"Quick question," he began with a small smile. "Have you ever ridden in a horse and carriage?"

"No..." I answered slowly. "Why?"

Kyoya only smirked, and then gazed out the window. I followed his gaze and look down on the ground to find a luxurious carriage with two strong horses latched on to the front. A wide smile crossed my face, knowing that this was part of the event.

The afternoon flew by fast, and by the next day, I found myself sitting beside Kyoya in the soft, leather seats of the carriage while the horses trotted around the campus. I couldn't stop smiling as I gazed out at the scenery we passed by, and even as I gazed around at the hosts entertaining their clients, I felt like the luckiest girl on the face of the earth. I lived in the moment that afternoon, wishing that it would never end.

* * *

**Yayz! Happy day! Poor Zuki though... I hope he finds love again... Oh, yeah, I'm sure you guys figured out from the start why I made Tamaki sing a Vic Mignogna song...**

**But, yes, I loved this chapter! I especially enjoyed writing it! So, now with one week left until graduation, how will K.C. cope with... K.C.? Are you crying?**

**K.C.: **No... I just have something in my eye...

**No you don't. You're upset that you have to leave back to America soon.**

**K.C.: **SHUT UP! So what if I am?

**Well, hey, at least you have everyone's e-mails and phone number, right? You can still communicate.**

**K.C.: **Yeah...** *starts balling out crying* **I'M GOING TO MISS THEM ALL!

***pats K.C. on the back* There, there... *back to audience* Well, there you guys have it, and I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Remember to rate and review!**

**

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**

_**Sneak Peak for Chapter 40:**_

_This was it. The day I had been dreading for the past few months. I stood there in the airport terminal with my luggage and the hosts, who came with me to say their last good-bye._

_I sighed and turned to them. "I'm really going to miss you all, once I get back."_

_"Yeah," Hikaru spoke dismayed._

_"It was a good run though," Kaoru added, more cheerfully than his brother._

_I nodded my head. "I don't even know if my life will be the same without you all there."_

_"Don't worry," Haruhi spoke reassuringly. "We'll be sure to stay in touch with each other."_

_I smiled at her. True. We would e-mail and call each other whenever we found the time. Of course, with the hosts and I in different time zones, I only wondered when the appropriate time to drop a message would be._

_"K.C.-chan..." the Lolita's voice spoke meekly._

_I turned to face him, and then knelt down to his level. "Yes, Hunny-senpai?"_

_Tears filled his big, copper brown eyes to the brim, and then he flung his arms around me. "I don't want you to go, K.C.-chan!"_

_"I know, I know..." I answered comfortingly. "I don't want to go either. But, I'll call you as soon as I get home. I'll call all of you."_

_Hunny sniffled as he released me and rubbed the remaining tears from his eyes. As he gazed up at me, I smiled warmly and rustled my hand in his hair. It pained me to see the little college student cry, but there was nothing I could do about it._

_"We're all going to miss having you around the school, K.C.," Tamaki spoke._

_"I know," I answered, standing up. "I'm going to miss getting lost in those hallways."_

_Tamaki chuckled at the remark._

_"Like Haruhi said: we'll keep in touch," I added._

_As if on cue, the voice on the intercom echoed through the terminal. "Flight 15 for Denver is now boarding."_

_"Well, this is it, you guys," I spoke._

_"Have a safe flight, K.C.," Haruhi spoke._

_"Thanks," I answered. "I'm going to miss you guys."_

_After that, I grabbed my carry-on luggage and made my way through the tunnel. I glanced back at the hosts and waved good-bye; and as soon as they disappeared, I picked up caught up with the moving line and then boarded the plane for home._

_

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_

**Replies to the Reviews from the last chapter:**

**Queen Violet of the Underworld: I know! I love Zuki too! And I'd hate to see his feelings get hurt as well, but that's just the way it goes I guess. Yeah, totally a game of tug-o-war! Haha!**

**Moonlight's Shadow Warrior: Haha! Thanks you guys!**

**Toni Heart: NP. :) I'd love to see your deviant art! I'm sure it's great!**

**Ogden Writer: Thanks!**

**Pandora's-Boom-Box: First off, I love the new username! ;). And, yes, revenge is totally sweet! *cries* I Know! I don't want her to leave! Haha! Thankz!**

**RedVenice: Thanks! Actually, yes, the cupcake was chocolate! AHHHHH! Not the magical iPod of death!**

**Shan-Shan XP: First off, I absolutely LOVED the idea of the joined names! I actually came up with some myself, which I posted in the author's note at the beginning of the story. You're a genius! **

**HarutaYari: Haha! Epic win all around! Yeah, tell him like it is, Ed!**

**Snow'n'Cupcakes: I told you I wouldn't forget ;). Thanks!**

**i'mthenewCAKEPIG: Still, spoons should never be pointed at anyone! They can hurt people!  
K.C: **No they can't.  
**They can too!  
K.C.:** Whatever...  
**Anyway... yeah, I just thought I'd throw in the HikaruxKC bit, if you look back through the chapter, he kind of shows some hints. And YAY for FOOD FIGHTS!**

**Mew Bubblegum: Yay! Wow... 2:50 am? That's late... But, I'm glad you kept on reading it without stopping! That's awesome! No, The Shadow King's to awesome for violence.**

**AllyraMortlock: Actually, I saw the boxing glove prank in a chapter of the Ouran manga, so I thought I'd put it in there. But, now that you mention it, it does kinda remind you of looney-toons! Yeah, but by all that twinxOC fanfics I've read, Hikaru's a heartbreaker. He'll hook someone else eventually. thanks! I was actually sad yesterday because there were only a few more chapters to write... But, then comes my next big fic!**

**00StellaKichi00: Thanks! Yeah, it's fun writing the whole love-triangle!**

**Aurora-16: Hey there! Thanks! Yes, poor Hikaru... Don't worry, I won't leave them hanging for long ;) Trust me... I have TONS of OCs... Hey, no problem ;) Yeah, this one was pretty long itself ^.^" *whistles* wow... 10 stories... Hope that goes well!**

**ForeverFlame99: Thanks sooo much! I'll be sure to check out you're fic too!**


	40. I'll Always Remember

**WAAAAAAAAHHHH! *blows nose in tissue* T-T**

**K.C.: **Getting a cold?

**No... *sniffles* It's just... It's just that... THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER IN MY STORY! *starts balling out crying* WAAAAAHHHH!**

**K.C.: *sighs* **Yeah... it was fun while it lasted. Now... could you suck it up? Everyone's watching, and you're kinda embarrassing me...

***glances over shoulder, and then dashes over, knocking K.C. out of the way, while smiling cheerfully* Hey, there everyone! Glad you decided to come back!**

**K.C.: O.O **You sure changed moods pretty fast… Aren't you still upset?

**A little, but not as upset as you were... You were crying all day...**

**K.C.: **I WAS _NOT_!

**BUT! Yes... *Tamaki-like-mellow-drama* This is the very last chapter of my Ouran High School Host Club fic: "Fitting In". *sighs* It's hard to believe that I've been working on this since July... That's almost half a year...**

**BUT! I HAVE GOOD NEWS! I HAVE WRITTEN THE FIRST CHAPTER OF MY NEW FANFIC! ^.^**

**Yes, you're amazing authoress, Supgergirl501, has started a Fullmetal Alchemist fic! With, yes, another OC of mine.**

**K.C.: u.u **That's why I wanted to stay with her during this whole intro... She's actually mellow and doesn't spaz out every five seconds.

**Oh, come on now, K.C. You love me, right?**

**K.C.: *sighs* **Yeah... I guess

**NOTICE: So, Anywayz... I kinda changed the preview for this chapter, just so that it would flow better. And, also, since this chapter was kind of predictable, it's not going to be as long as the others.**

**But, anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the final chapter of my Ouran fic: "Fitting In" As much as I... *sniffles* enjoyed... writing it... WAAAAAH! I CAN'T BELEIVE IT'S OVER!**

**SONGS USED:**

**"I'll Always Remember" - Hannah Montana (No, I'm not a Miley Cyrus fan... The song just fit with the chapter.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything Ouran-related, or the song used in this chapter.**

**Claimer: I own all of my OCs that aren't in the manga/anime series.**

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**~ Chapter 40 ~**

**I'll Always Remember**

Red and white striped banners hung across the walls and doors of the auditorium that morning, while three large flags hung from the ceiling behind the stage. The room was barely lit with the only spotlight glaring down on the podium on stage with a bonsai tree placed beside it. Rows of chairs were set facing the stage, and filled with formally dressed teachers, parents, local officials, special guests, and of course the Elementary to High School students. The low murmur of students and adults echoed through the auditorium, as they patiently awaited the beginning of graduation.

"It's hard to believe that all the third-years are graduating today," Tao spoke quietly. "After spring break, they'll all be off to college. But," she added in a more chipper tone. "But, at least we get to see the graduating middle school students in their new uniforms."

I nodded in reply, but was unable to speak. All day, from waking up to arriving at the Academy, I had been shadowed with nothing but dismay; but I hid it from my classmates as well as the hosts. I didn't want them to worry about me, especially Kyoya. Every one of us knew that this day was coming eventually. It was just difficult to believe how soon it got here.

"What's wrong, K.C.?" Tao asked, breaking into my thoughts. "Aren't you happy for the graduating class?"

"I am," I replied. "I just... I just can't believe that tomorrow, I'll be on the plane back to America."

"Oh, right..." Tao spoke glumly. She glanced away for a moment, and then sighed before turning back to me with a smile. "Well, at least you had fun, right?"

"Right," I answered, returning her smile. "And I'll always remember everything that has happened this year."

As soon as I finished, the room became silent as all eyes turned to the graduating High School class. The men were dressed sharply in sleek black suits, white undershirts, and black ties, while the women wore black blazers, skirts, ties, and shoes with a white undershirt and knee-high socks. The graduating class, lead by their homeroom teachers, strode into the auditorium slowly and deliberately in a straight line, making 90 degree turns when necessary. I could overhear some of the girls whispering to one another about Tamaki's attire as he passed by, and how handsome he looked decked out in black. Afterwards, the students lined up by their designated chair, and, when their teacher gave the signal, the students took their seats.

Then, Chairman Suoh took the stage, and requested everyone in the auditorium to stand and bow towards the Japanese flag. After doing as they were bidden, the students and everyone else in the room sung the Japanese national anthem, as well as the city and school anthem. I remember back at the beginning of the year when we were told to sing the anthems during the weekly assembly. I had to follow along with the card; but now, the words were planted in my mind.

As soon as the songs were through, the chairman stood behind the podium, while one of the female teachers brought a large tray of diplomas. Afterwards, each of the homeroom teachers took the stage and called out the names of their students. I watched as each of the students climbed onto the stage and accepted their diploma before taking their seat in the front row.

I could see the other girls around me about to bust with joy as Tamaki took the stage; and once he smiled to the crowd, the girls looked like they were going to pass out. I smiled and rolled my eyes at them; and as soon as I heard Kyoya's name called out, I quickly turned my attention back towards the stage. Sure enough, there was Ootori boy, ascending the staircase to receive his diploma. I must confess that he looked more mature, and handsome, dressed in formal attire.

After all the students received their diplomas and the head of class gave their speeches, the principal made his final remarks before dismissing everyone from the assembly to head back to their classrooms. I'll admit that that was one brief ceremony. From what I've heard, the graduation ceremonies back in America last around three hours along with the reception afterwards; however, the graduation ceremony in Japan felt like it stretched to just an hour, or a little over.

Nevertheless, I still couldn't shake off the feeling that this was it. The graduating High School Students wouldn't be around campus any longer. It was just the first and second years roaming the halls and walking to and from their class rooms.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Like everything else that happened up until now, the week had flown by in a breeze. Today was the last day of the third trimester before spring break would begin for the rising students. During lunch break, I found myself walking outside with Tao as we chatted about what we would do over spring break, and even talked about what we would do after high school.

Honestly, I never had given any thought about what I was going to do with my life. I mean, there were so many possibilities and occupations that I could take up, which, of course, were limited to my skills and abilities. I did have my heart set on music, so, maybe I could start from there; of course, unless something else that I wanted to try came along. Two more years before I'd leave the house for good and be off on my own.

Music would probably be the best start for me. I mean, I never realized that I had a talent for singing until I was dragged into the Stellar Club. I always knew that I could play the piano, but I never knew that my hidden talent was a vocalist. Maybe that was why they were called "hidden talents". Of course, acting sounded like fun, and I loved being outdoors; so, maybe taking a few acting lessons would help me out. Then, of course, there was musical theater, the next step in acting. I already had the music part of that down, so all that was left was the acting part.

I sighed. This was going to be difficult...

"Oh, look," Tao spoke, breaking through my thoughts. "The Junior High students are doing their cheers with the underclassmen."

I glanced over in the direction she was pointing to, and sure enough, there were the rising Middle School students with the elementary students at the front of the school. The little kids were simply adorable as they mimicked the older students during the cheers, and even when they messed up, they only laughed and continued with the routine.

"That sure brings back memories..." Tao trailed off as she continued to gaze at the group.

"Looks like fun," I commented.

Tao nodded. "I still remember when I was an elementary student, doing the cheers with the rising juniors. Once I graduated into Middle School, I was teaching the cheers to the underclassmen."

I smiled at her, and then I gazed out at the underclassmen. These kids had plenty of time to stay at Ouran and decide what they wanted to be when they grew up, and I was sure that attending Ouran would open up more opportunities for college. They have the chance of a lifetime, and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity as well; but, it was still disheartening to see it all come to an end like this.

No matter how much I wanted to turn back the hands of time and relive everything that occurred, I didn't want to change anything. Throughout the year, there were tons of causes and effects, but it all came down to a happy ending. So much happened to me here in Japan, and I didn't want for it to end! Never!

"Hey, K.C.?" my best friend's voice spoke, interrupting my thoughts once more.

Curious to know what she wanted, I turned to her. "Yeah, Tao?"

She glanced away for a moment in thought, and then sighed. "Nothing's going to be the same without you."

"Hey, I'm sure you'll manage just fine," I spoke with a reassuring smile. "Sure, I'll miss you, the hosts, and everyone else here in Ouran, but I'm just glad that I was given this opportunity. It really has changed my life."

Tao glanced back at me with a smile, and nodded her head. "You know, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while, K.C."

"What's that?"

"Well, it wouldn't matter now, since you're leaving and all. I just wanted it to be something we could do together."

"That's fine. Even though I may not be here next year, I'm sure you'll find someone else to do this with."

"Yeah..."

As soon as she finished, the school beel rang, signaling the end of lunch break, and the beginning of the afternoon classes. The underclassmen packed their things away and made their way to their school rooms while Tao and I headed back inside the main, high school building for the remaining classes. As soon as the two of us stood in front of the door, she walked inside and I gazed up at the building and glanced around. Yes, I sure was going to miss it all.

**~ . . * . . ~**

"Hey, K.C., ready to go?" Hikaru called out from down the hall.

It was the weekend already, and the hosts stopped by to help me pack my things and head over to the airport. Ignoring the older Hitachiin brother, I sat on the edge of my bed and gazed around the vacant room. I double checked to make sure that I packed away every bit of my clothes, toiletries, and miscellaneous items into my bag. Even though the room had been cleared five minutes ago, I was lost in thought as I gazed out the window at the view of the other apartments lining the suburbs of Tokyo.

"Did you not hear me?" the older twin spoke annoyed as he walked down the hall. "I said, are you ready?"

Snapping out of my reverie, I glanced over at him. "Oh, yeah. I am. Thanks, Hikaru."

The older twin sighed, as he leaned against the door frame. "About time. We've been waiting on you for ten minutes."

"Sorry," I answered, turning my body around to face him. "I've just been thinking."

"About what?"

"Oh, nothing."

Hikaru eyes me skeptically. "It sure must be a whole lot of 'nothing' for you to keep us all waiting."

I sighed at his impatience. As nice as he may be at times, Hikaru sure could be a pain in the rear. Sure, he may be my 'older brother', but he was the type of brother that got on your nerves 24/7.

"Look, I'm sorry, all right," I spoke. "I lost track of time."

"I'm just saying," the older twin spoke innocently. Then, he released a deep breath before standing up straight and walking over to me. "Anyway," he continued, taking a seat on the bed beside me, "I thought I'd give you this."

With that, he drew out a thin, rectangular, green music player with a little screen at the top and a white circle near the bottom. I scanned over the device, while Hikaru showed me the basics of how to turn it on and select the songs on the device. Apparently, there were songs already loaded onto it, some American, and some Japanese ones.

"Hikaru," I spoke. "You didn't have to."

"Well, it was mine and Kaoru's idea," he answered, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. "Besides, now you can have something to listen to on the flight back home."

I smiled up at him, and then I wrapped my arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, Hikaru."

He was hesitant for a moment to reply. "N-no problem... K.C."

After a while, I released him, and then the two of us walked out of the room and down the hall, where the other hosts were waiting on us in the living room. I thanked all the hosts for helping me carry my bags out to the limousine and packing them away for me, and then Tamaki led the rest of the club outside to the awaiting vehicle. I took a few steps towards the door, but then came to a halt and turned back around, gazing around the room.

"Katherine?" a calm deep voice spoke.

I turned around to find Kyoya standing behind me. It pained me to leave Japan and all the friends I've made behind, but it pained me even more just to leave Kyoya. We were only together for two weeks, but now I was leaving him for good. After everything the hosts had done for me, I just couldn't bear the thought of leaving them here.

Unable to hold back the tears that fought to pour from my eyes, I threw myself at Kyoya, wrapping my arms around his waist and burying my face in his shirt. The Shadow King responded, by snaking his long, thin arms around me, running a hand through my hair, which I left down and out of its typical ponytail.

Out of all the people I didn't want to abandon, it was Kyoya. I found out that he was the one responsible for planning the special, surprise birthday for me, and even booking a flight for my brother and best friend to come all the way to Japan just for it. As much of a cold, selfish jerk he may be at times, he was still a kind-hearted person deep down, whether it be for a friend, a stranger, or someone he deeply cared about.

As soon as I forced myself to calm down, I kept myself in Kyoya's embrace, while the two of us continued to stand in the middle of the living room.

Kyoya bent his head downward to plant a kiss on the top of my head. "Ai shi teiru."

I blushed somewhat, realizing that he never had spoken those words before, but then I smiled. As we released each other, and I gazed up at him, he smiled down at me, and then planted a quick kiss on my lips. Then, he took my hand, and the two of us walked out of the apartment together and down the stairs. After dropping off the room keys at the reception desk, I joined the hosts in the limousine, and then we were off to the airport.

**~ . . * . . ~**

This was it. The day I had been dreading from the middle of the second-trimester to a few weeks ago. I stood there in the airport center with my carry-on luggage and the hosts, who came with me to say their last good-bye.

I sighed and turned to them. "I'm really going to miss you all, once I get back."

"Yeah," Hikaru spoke dismayed.

"It was a good run though," Kaoru added, more cheerfully than his brother.

I nodded my head. "I don't even know if my life will be the same without you all there."

"Don't worry," Haruhi spoke reassuringly. "We'll be sure to stay in touch with each other."

I smiled at her. True. We would e-mail and call each other whenever we found the time. Of course, with the hosts and I in different time zones, I only wondered when the appropriate time to drop a message would be. Nevertheless, I would find a time when I wasn't busy to write up an e-mail or text to send to my friends, and then probably receive a reply within a day or so.

"K.C.-chan..." the Lolita's voice spoke meekly.

I turned to face him, and then knelt down to his level. "Yes, Hunny-senpai?"

Tears filled his big, copper brown eyes to the brim, and then he flung his arms around me. "I don't want you to go, K.C.-chan!"

"I know, I know..." I answered comfortingly. "I don't want to go either. But, I'll call you as soon as I get home. I'll call all of you."

Hunny sniffled as he released me and rubbed the remaining tears from his eyes. As he gazed up at me, I smiled warmly and rustled my hand in his hair. It pained me to see the little college student cry, but there was nothing I could do about it.

"We're all going to miss having you around the school, K.C.," Tamaki spoke.

"I know," I answered, standing up. "I'm going to miss getting lost in those hallways."

Tamaki chuckled at the remark.

"But, like Haruhi said: we'll keep in touch," I added.

As if on cue, the voice on the intercom echoed through the terminal. "Flight 15 for Denver is now boarding."

"Well, this is it, you guys," I spoke.

"Have a safe trip home, K.C.," Haruhi spoke.

"Thanks," I answered. "I'm going to miss you guys."

After that, I grabbed my carry-on luggage and made my way through the tunnel. I glanced back at the hosts and waved good-bye; and as soon as they disappeared, I picked up speed and caught up with the moving line ahead of me. This was it. Even though I had taken the plane back home for summer and Christmas break, this would be the final time I boarded this plane back to America. As much as I wanted to stay in Japan, I knew that I couldn't. My year at Ouran was already up.

After packing away my carry-on luggage into the overhead compartment, and then took my seat. I gazed out the window at the luggage cars, packing the larger bags into the aircrafts cargo hold for the trip. As soon as the passengers were all seated and fastened their seat belts, the plane rolled out of its place and then picked up speed as it glided down the runway until it was hovering over the Earth, surrounded in a sea of clouds.

A few hours passed since the plane took off from the airport, and all I could do was think about arriving home. Well, Hikaru was right, I was beginning to grow bored; and the in-flight movie wasn't of much interest to me. Drawing out the music device from my pocket, I placed the headphones over my ears and turned the device on. I wasn't sure what kind of songs the twins loaded onto the little music player, so I decided to begin it on Shuffle.

Instantly, one of the American songs began playing; and as I listened to the song, it really hit close to home for me.

_I always knew this day would come  
We'd be standing one by one  
With our future in our hands  
So many dreams so many plans_

_Always knew after all these years  
There'd be laughter there'd be tears  
But never thought that I'd walk away  
With so much joy but so much pain  
And it's so hard to say goodbye _

_But yesterday's gone  
We gotta keep moving on  
I'm so thankful for the moments  
So glad I got to know ya  
The times that we had  
I'll keep like a photograph  
And hold you in my heart forever  
I'll always remember you..._

**~ . . * . . ~**

As soon as the plane landed, I grabbed my carry-on bag, and made my way over to receive the rest of my luggage on the conveyor belt. I double checked to make sure, I wasn't missing anything, and then I made my way out to the parking lot, where my brother stood by his car waiting for me. I managed a smile, as I walked over to him, even though I was still hurting a little inside. While Joe packed away the luggage in the trunk, I walked around the car and climbed into the front, passenger seat.

Once my brother climbed into the car beside me, he gave me a smile. "How was the flight?"

"Good," I answered, trying to hide the dismay in my voice.

"You okay?" my brother asked, obviously not fooled.

"Kind of," I answered. Then, I released a sigh as I gazed out the side window. "I'm going to miss them, Joe."

My brother smiled warmly as he placed his hand over mine. "It's going to be all right, K.C. You'll see them again sometime."

_Not soon, obviously... _I thought to myself.

After a while, Joe, twisted the key in the ignition, and then drove out of the parking lot, and then down the highway. During the entire car ride, I gazed out the window, not much in the mood to talk to my brother. This was it. I was finally back home for good. No more talking Japanese. No more waking up every morning to get ready and walk to school. No more host club. No more Kyoya... I sighed at the thought, and then I rested my head against the window. No matter how far apart we are, he was always going to stay printed in my mind.

_Another chapter in the book  
Can't go back but you can look  
And there we are on every page  
Memories I'll always save_

_Up ahead on the open doors_  
_Who knows what were heading towards?_  
_I wish you love, I wish you luck_  
_For you the world just opens up_  
_But it's so hard to say goodbye_

_Yesterday's gone  
We gotta keep moving on  
I'm so thankful for the moments  
So glad I got to know ya  
The times that we had I'll keep like a photograph  
And hold you in my heart forever  
I'll always remember you..._

As soon as Joe pulled into the driveway and came to a stop, I climbed out of the car and walked to the back to grab my bags out of the trunk. Wordlessly, I walked into the house and made my way into my room to unpack all my clothes and other belongings into my room, while my brother brought in the rest of the bags. Tossing my suitcase onto the bed, I unzipped it, and lifted the lid to unpack my belongings.

Of course, that was when I noticed a picture frame set on top of all my clothes. Raising an eyebrow, I picked up the frame and flipped it over to find a picture of the hosts and me together outside in the park. It occurred a week ago, and Tamaki took the hosts and I on a nature walk through the Shiretoko National Park. We got lost a few times, thanks to the club president's navigational skills, but we eventually made it out alive, and before nightfall.

I smiled as I reflected on the memories, and then I set the picture frame on my nightstand and gazed at it for a while, before turning back to the suitcase and unpacking my clothes, organizing them in my dresser.

_Every day that we had_  
_All the good all the bad_  
_I'll keep them here inside_  
_All the times we shared_  
_Every place everywhere_  
_You touched my life_  
_Yeah, one day we'll look back_  
_We'll smile and we'll laugh_  
_But right now we just cry_  
_Cause it's so hard to say goodbye..._

That night, I sat in my room putting the finishing touches on my scrap book. I spent all evening gathering the photos and craft work I would need to finish up my project. Once the glue on the pages were dried, I slipped each of them into a page protector, making sure that I had the right ones facing one side, and the other side facing the opposite direction when I placed them in the album. As soon as I placed the last page in, I smiled to myself at my handiwork. Then, I flipped to the very beginning of the book, and reflected on the memories each of the pictures contained.

_Yesterday's gone  
We gotta keep moving on  
I'm so thankful for the moments  
So glad I got to know ya  
The times that we had  
I'll keep like a photograph  
And hold you in my heart forever  
I'll always remember you..._

A knocking on my door interrupted my reverie, and I glanced up to find my brother standing in the doorway with that smile on his face. I smiled back as I sat up straight on my bed.

"You're finished with that?" he inquired, indicating the scrap book.

I nodded. "Just finished it up a few minutes ago."

"You'll have to show me it tomorrow," he spoke. "Now, it's late, and you need you're rest. You've been through a lot today."

"All right," I answered reluctantly.

Closing the book, I placed it on my nightstand and then pulled the covers down to climb into bed. Joe smiled at me, and then we exchanged our 'good-nights' before he walked down the hall to his own room.

_I'll always remember you..._

I reached my hand over to switch my lamplight off; but before I did, I gazed at the photograph of the hosts and I. I smiled as I reflected back on that day, and then I turned the light off, darkening my room, before laying down in the comfort of my own bed back in America.

_I'll always remember you._

_

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_

**WAAAAAAAAAHHHHH! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S OVER! *sniffles* Well... you guys knew it was coming down to this...**

**Anyway, I would like to thank each and every one of my faithful readers/reviewers for sticking with me this far in my story! You guys don't know how much I appreciate it. SO! I baked a HUGE cookie cake for all of us to share! ENJOY ^.^**

**POP QUIZ!:**

**Okay, so Kyoya was talking in Japanese during that short little scene in her apartment, soooooo do you guys know what he said? Feel free to use the internet in case you don't know :D.**

**Oh, and be sure to CHECK OUT MY NEW FIC ON HERE! FULL METAL ALCHEMIST! YEAH!**

**Thanks again for reading everyone! Hope you all enjoed it!**

**REPLIES TO THE REVIES FROM THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER:**

**Pandora's-Boom-Box: *dances* I'm so happy for them ^.^ They finally managed to give up the nerve to tell each other. No, it's not bad to say that. Actually, Thursdays and Fridays are jammed for me, so that's why I post on Saturdays... Zuki's going to find himself someone eventually. I'm honestly now sure who though ^.^". Yayz! Supporters for the pairings!**

**RedVenice: Sorry... But, K.C.'s like a little sister. She's just so much fun to mess with :)**

**HarutaYari: Yay! Thanks! Oh, yeah, K.C.'s still being difficult and stubborn with the whole Mustang-thing... She's kinda paranoid that he's going to make her wear a mini-skirt in return for him getting her into Ouran. Go figure... **

**ToniHeart: Yay! Yep, 39 chapters before they get together... Thanks! I'm working on a Fullmetal Alchemist fic, and the 1st chapter is up if you wanna check it out ;) BTW, I LOVED you're artwork on DevinatART! It was CUUUUTEEE!**

**Shan-Shan XP: (1)I know right... Some people can be so stubborn and make up excuses *cough, cough* Kyoya *cough* I know... (2)Yeah, I just had to get inside the twins' minds and see what they would do. The bowling ball was kind of supposed to be there for the story purpose, as well as comic relief XD. I know right! Of course, some fanfiction makes Kyoya too lovey-sappy, and I hate it when they do that. It's so OOC. (3). Probably Skype or something... Well, I honestly have no FULL idea of a sequel. After all, she's finished with the Host Club and Kyoya and Tamaki are in college and everything... But, if I did make her go back, K.C. would definitely be oblivious to it like always :) (K.C**.: I HEARD THAT!**)**.** (4) Don't worry about it, I do that sometimes :) Haha! Glee! Yeah, there were a couple of reviews saying which pairing they supported. Cya!**

**Mew Bubblegum: Yayz! What? You didn't like Zuki? I thought he was kinda cute... Hmmmm... that idea could work...**

**i'mthenewCAKEPIG: Yeah, I'm a tamaxharu supporter too, but I'm sure Hikaru will move on to someone else. Yeah, poor Zuki... He'll find love eventually. Yeah, K.C., don't worry! But, the abroad thing was supposed to happen when Tamaki, and Kyoya were 3rd years, which is the grade they're in when my story takes place. Hmmm... Sheets of paper could work I guess... Depending on how you use them...**

**Aurora-16: Yeah... the most I've ever written in one day... Yay! Thnaks! Muffins!**

**Moonlight's Shadow Warrior: Yeah, the song and Tamaki just fit together and I thought "hey, let's make Tamaki sing it!" Wow... you guys were still confused for each other? Yes, poor K.C...Thanks, you guys!**

**AllyraMortlock: When it comes to Kyoya, you always have to make sure there aren't too many fuzzies, because he's not much of a fuzzie person... Haha! Yeah, Tamaki was perfect, wasn't he? Well, Hikaru did bounce back at the end of the anime to hook Haruhi up with Tamaki, right? But, that still doesn't mean that he should give up looking for love. Thanks!**

**ForeverFlame99: Yeah, I made it a habit to reply to the reviews from the previous chapter this way ^.^ NFC? Whatever that means, I guess it fits! Thanks!**

**unami: Thanks! Yes, 39 chapters and they finally confess! *squeeeee!* J Michael Tatum! You were actually the only one who guessed that that was where I got the line from. KUDOS to you!**

**MizLIzzie: The whole thing in one day? Wow... that's awesome! Don't take it out of your poor brother! That's terrible! Uhhh... I'll try not to be pressured... Wow. Thanks so much! That means a lot to me!**


	41. Just A Few Questions

**Hey, Everyone!**

**Okay, I'm really sorry to bug you guys again... BUT! You're all on summer vacation by now right? I guess most of you are. That's not the point.**

**You see... I was thinking the other day, and you all know that this is my first fic on Fanfiction (dot) net, and, like all first-time fanfic writers, I was worried about what people would think of it.**

**And, I just wnat to thank all of you for sticking through with it 'til the end. (Even though the ending was perdictable but not as happy...). I remember wkaing up one weekend to 10 reviews! and every weekend when I posted the e-mail just kept coming! So, I just want to give all of you a big "Thanks so much!"**

**But, here's the point of this post... I was thinking of a few things one day, so I decided to post an A/N about it.**

**So, I just wanna ask you all a couple of questions... :D**

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**1). How did you find my fanfic? (i.e. suggestion from a friend, scrolling through the website trying to find something decent to read... etc.)**

...

**2). Why did this fanfic interest you to keep reading?**

...

**3). Who was you're favorite OC?** (KC, Tao, Kimiko, Ochira, Momoka, Joe, Kenzie...) **Why was he/she you're favorite? **(And, _please_ be specific!)

...

**4) What was you're favorite paring in the story? **(KyoRin, SaTao, HikaRin, ZuKa... etc.)

...

**5). What was you're favorite Chapter in "Fitting In"? Why? **(Again, be specific why you liked it)

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**6). What was you're favorite fluffy scene **(It can be from _any_ of the pairings, not just the main one...)

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**7). What was you're favorite humor scene?**

**...**

And** 8). Should I make a sequel?** (I know I've got a poll on this already, but I just wanted to know from you guys)

* * *

**So, yeah. I had those questions running through my mind for a while...**

**Answer in the review please!**

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**REMINDER: Contest Ends July 15, 2011**


	42. At the Beginning

**SURPRISE! ^^**

**Welcome to the **_**REAL**_** last chapter everyone! :D**

**K.C.:** WHAT? You lied to your viewers?

**Eeehhhhhh... In a sense... ^^;**

**K.C.: **IN A SENSE? You haven't written a since chapter for this story since FEBRUARY, SG! In chapter 41, you told everyone that that was the end of it! Therefore, you were lying to your faithful reviewers.

**Well, it's not technically **_**lying…. **_**I mean, that**_** was**_** the last chapter, BUT **_**this**_** is more of an epilogue-thingy...**

**K.C.:** Still, an epilogue is a type of chapter, in a sense.

**Okay, Okay…. *sighs* I'm sorry for **_**white**_**-lying to you, everyone. But, hey, at least I tricked you all into thinking that this story was over! Because I'm sure if K.C. were the one lying, you guys would know that it wasn't true. *snickers* She fails at lying.**

**K.C.:** SHUT UP!

**ANYWAY! Enjoy the REAL ending you guys, and be sure to CHECK OUT MY NEW FIC: "FIRE AND ICE"!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or anything Ouran-related**

**Claimer: I own all of my OCs ^.^**

* * *

**~ Chapter 41 ~**

**At the Beginning**

"K.C. ..."

I groaned as I tossed to the side, burying my head underneath my pillow, drowning out my brother's voice from above me. Of course, that didn't make him leave me alone so that I could return to my peaceful slumber. He would place his hand on my shoulder, shaking me from side to side, trying to get me out of bed. What time was it anyway?

Opening my eyes halfway, I managed to read the time on my clock: **6:45am.** Sunlight was barely streaming through the green and yellow polka-dotted curtains, filtering into the dimly lit room. On the edge of my bed sat my brother, with his hand on my shoulder as he gently shook me. What in the world was Joe waking me up so early for? It was Saturday for crying out loud! I do _not_ get up this early on a weekend.

I had only been home for a few days, enjoying my spring break with my brother and Mackenzie. Last night, Joe invited Kenzie over for dinner; however, he sent me to bed about half-an-hour early. My brother and best friend were still hanging out together, and, like always, curiosity got the better of me, and I snuck down the hallway, peering into the living room. As I closed my eyes again, I could still visualize the two of them sitting together on the couch I didn't remember much of their conversation, except the three things Joe asked Mackenzie to do.

First, he asked her to make a promise, which was always be there for him, and he promised to always be there for her as well. Then, Joe turned on the stereo, as a slow tune echoed through the living room. That was when he asked her to dance. I could still picture the two of them gazing adoringly into each other's eyes as they slowly swayed from side to side in sync with the music. Finally, during the middle of the song, my brother made his final request. He knelt down on one knee, producing a little black box. As soon as he opened it, Mackenzie began crying, and then she flung her arms around Joe, who slipped a ring on her finger.

That moment was, and will be, forever printed in my mind. It was just so romantic and tear-jerking... and it almost blew my cover! Man, I would've gotten in so much trouble if Joe found out that I was still awake _and_ spying on him. Of course, I was too excited about Mackenzie becoming my 'sister' that I couldn't fall asleep during the night... which brings us back to the present with Joe trying to get me out of bed.

"Katherine," my brother's voice spoke sternly.

"Ten more minutes, Joe..." I groaned, wearily.

My brother sighed. "K.C., get up, or else I'll push you out of bed again."

I scoffed. "Yeah, right..."

And, boy, did I regret saying that. For a moment I thought my brother had given up on waking me for whatever reason it was, and when I felt the mattress shift, I presumed that he climbed off the bed and left my room. I was far from being right. Just when I thought I was going to fall back into the peaceful arms of sleep, I gave a small yelp as his strong arms shoved me forward, sending me toppling over the edge of the bed, rolling onto the floor entangled in the sheets.

I groaned as lifted my body up, swinging my legs around. "What the heck was that for?"

"Well, I warned you," Joe answered with a smug smirk.

I only rolled my eyes at him, and then untwisted my legs from the sheets. Well, as much as I wanted to, I couldn't fall back asleep. my brother better have a good reason for waking me up _this_ early in the morning.

"C'mon, Katie-bug," my brother spoke. "I made breakfast."

Groaning at the pet-name, I grabbed the sheets and pulled them over my shoulder, curling up on the floor. My brother was an amazing cook, and I must admit that I missed the good old American breakfast while I was away in Japan. Still, it was _way_ too early for me to get up. I mean, who has breakfast at six in the morning?

"Did I mention that they're buttermilk pancakes and blueberry muffins?" my brother chimed.

Quickly, tossing, the covers off of me, I scrambled to my feet. "I get dibs on the biggest pancake!" I shouted, running out of the room and into the kitchen.

Oh, how I missed American pancakes! In Japan it was rice and soup, but nothing beat the good old, home-styled flapjack. Joe made them just perfect too; not too burnt, and not too raw. Hey, after having either rice or soup for breakfast back in Japan, I had been dying for a fresh batch of home-made pancakes.

Once I was in the dining table, I plopped myself down in a chair, and scooped two pancakes onto my plate. My brother arrived a few moments later and joined me at the table.

"You know," he began, "for someone who doesn't enjoy waking up early in the morning, you sure got up pretty fast."

Rolling my eyes, I poured the maple syrup, flooding my pancakes. "It's not that I _don't_ like getting up in the morning, I just like staying up late."

Joe only chuckled, and then stacked a few pancake son his own plate. "Well, just to let you know, you might want to get ready right after breakfast."

At that moment, I was just about to pop a slice of the syrup coated flapjack in my mouth. However, I stopped mid-way as my brother's remark ran through my mind. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, I lowered my hand and stared across the table at him. What would we have to get ready for? I mean, it was almost seven o'clock in the morning!

"What's going on, Joe?" I asked.

The corner's of his mouth curled up into a smirk. "We're going on a trip."

This only made me even more confused. "Where?"

"It's a surprise," he answered.

As confused as I was, I shrugged, and continued my breakfast. Hey, if it was supposed to be a surprise, I'd let it be a surprise and not pester my brother with hints. I remember back when Hikaru and Kaoru were escorting me to the theme park; of course, at that time, I had no idea where we were heading, and I was very eager to know. Well, I wasn't as eager now; probably because it was still a little early...

Once I was finished with breakfast, I placed my dishes in the sink and helped my brother clear the table. Of course, right when we were half-way done, he told me to go prepare myself while he finished cleaning. No matter how much I protested, I gave in and walked back to my room to change and then to the bathroom to fix my hair. Of course, I would usually leave my hair up in it's typical low-pony tail, but I wasn't sure if Joe and I were going somewhere average or fancy, so I just left my hair straight with a few wavy curls.

As soon as I walked back in my room, I stopped in the doorway, noticing that my brother had plopped down a giant black traveling case on my bed. This only raised my suspicion as I slowly walked into the room.

"Um, Joe?" I asked. "What're you doing?"

My brother glanced over his shoulder at me, probably confused, but then he smiled. "I'm just getting your bags ready for you to pack." Then, he turned around strode out of the room with that smirk still on his face. "Just pack your clothes and essentials and anything else you want to take."

"Well, it depends on how long this 'trip' is..." I remarked.

Joe stopped in the doorway, and then turned around, that smile still plastered on his lips. "A while..."

After that, he turned back around and strode out of the room, leaving me more confused that I already was. How long was this trip supposed to take? I mean, I just back from Japan a few days ago. Did I really have to go on another trip?

Letting it slide, I pulled out the clothes I would need, and all my other essentials. Afterwards, I neatly stacked them inside the suitcase, and double checked to make sure i had everything I needed. I had all my clothes and toiletries, so what was left? Well, Joe said that if I wanted to take anything else along, I could. So, if we were on a long trip, I packed my sketchbook just in case I got bored, as well as a few of my drawing pencils and notebooks. Of course, along with that, I packed away my laptop in it's own bag, and my camera and music player Hikaru and Kaoru had given me.

I sighed dreamily, as I thought back on the memories of attending the infamous Ouran Academy. Why did my time there have to flow by so fast? If I could do everything all over again, I would. But, of course, that was then, and this is the present. I reflected on those memories for a while as I organized everything in the suitcase.

"Hey, Joe," I called out, while zipping the suitcase shut. "I'm done."

"Okay," my brother answered from down the hall. "Just bring it out to the car."

Without another word, I hoisted the large black bag off the bed, and then set it on its wheels and pulled it out of the room. I met my brother in the living room, and then he hoisted up another travel bag and grabbed the car keys of the counter. Wordlessly, I followed him to the front door, but stopped noticing that he had also stopped.

Glancing over his shoulder, Joe smiled. "Ready?"

I shrugged. "I guess... I mean, I don't even know where we're going..."

Joe only chuckle, and turned the knob of the door. "You'll see when you're there. I know you'll like it."

Of course, that only made me even more curious as to where we were going; however, I let it slide, and followed my brother out to the car. It was still early in the morning, almost eight o'clock, so I could sleep on the way to wherever we were going. Honestly, I was still a little tired, so I wasn't in the mood for making any educated guesses.

After tossing the luggage into the trunk and climbing into the vehicle, my brother twisted the key in the ignition and steered out of the driveway and down the road. Neither of us spoke to the other, letting nothing but silence fill the air. I continued to watch the passing scenery as we drove through the neighborhood and onto the main highway.

"So," I spoke, bored of the continuous silence. "Is Kenzie not coming with us?"

"No," my brother answered. "She's got other things planned."

The way he put emphasis on 'other things' told me he was hiding something. "What did you guys do last night?" I asked, already knowing what the answer was.

"Oh, you know, chat, hang out," my brother answered, nonchalantly.

"Anything else?" I pressed on.

A small smile crossed Joe's face. "I proposed, if that's what you're wondering."

Even though I already knew, due to last night's escapade, but I couldn't help but smile. "Are you serious? What did she say?"

"She said, yes."

Wow, even now I still couldn't believe it. Kenzie was going to become par tof our family. We were going to be _real_ sisters; of course, she's always treated me like her little sister.

"When's the wedding?" I inquired.

"We haven't picked a date yet," my brother admitted. "But, she wants a spring wedding."

"So, next year, I guess?"

"That's our main plan."

As far away as it was, it made plenty of sense. I mean, Joe and Kenzie would have to save up a ton of money just to pay for renting a space, dress, tuxedo, decorations, and everything for the wedding and after-party; of course, there was the bachelor and bachelorette party beforehand. Their lives would become so busy this whole year.

"I can help, Joe," I spoke. "I could get a job this summer and help pay for the wedding and everything-"

"That's thoughtful, K.C.," my brother spoke. "Where would you work though?"

Oh, right. Never really gave much thought into that... Guess I should think before I start speaking. I just felt helpless not being there for my brother when he's going through all the stress of making enough money and arranging everything.

Releasing a sigh, I smiled up at him. "Well, I'm glad you finally worked up the guts to ask her. It took you long enough."

Joe only chuckled, and he probably would've ruffled his hand in my hair if he wasn't busy concentrating on the road ahead of him. Neither of us said anything more after that, as the car continued traveling down the road and on to the interstate. I'll admit that I was still a little tired to think up a conversation, and I almost fell asleep. Of course, the car came to a stop in a parking deck before I could doze off.

As the vehicle came to a complete stop, my brother and I climbed out of the car and grabbed the luggage from the trunk. It took a while the maneuver out the parking deck, especially with all the cars rolling up and down the concrete ramps and trying to not get hit. Once we stepped out into the sunlight, I shielded my eyes from the brightness; but as soon as my eyesight adjusted, I nearly dropped the luggage in shock.

Why were we at the airport? Did Joe plan on going out of state for vacation or something? I mean, he just got engaged, and he's already planned a trip with _me_ and not his fiancé. Something didn't seem right.

Before I had the chance to think of an answer, my brother's voice brought me back to reality: "K.C.?"

Snapping out of my reverie, I turned to find that he was a few meters ahead of me. Getting a grip of the handle of the suitcase, I raced down the sidewalk after him, before I slowed down my pace to a walking speed beside him.

"You okay, kiddo?" he asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "Just confused why we're at the airport."

"I told you already," my brother answered with a smile. "A trip."

Well, that answer didn't help at all. And, of course, if I asked him where he wouldn't tell me. If he didn't tell me back at the house, there was no doubt that he wasn't going to tell me now. I released a sigh, but said nothing more as I continued walking beside my older brother until we were inside the air-conditioned building.

Swarms of families, couples, and businessmen walked through the open area, of the airport, checking their tickets and passing through the security scanners. That was the worst part about going to the airport for me: Having to get your ticket, going through those scanners, always closing your eyes as you go through because you're afraid that they'll go off even though they don't, and putting the luggage on the conveyor belt. Of course, once you were in the terminal, it was nice, and you could visit the different shops and kiosks while you waited for your flight.

As soon as my brother purchased, the ticket, he turned to me and smiled. "Have fun, K.C.."

Raising an eyebrow, I stared up at him in confusion. "Aren't you coming with me?"

"Nope, this trip is just for you," Joe answered, that smile still splashed on his face.

Okay, now I was really starting to get confused. Joe decides to take me on a trip, which I soon find out that he's just going to leave me to get on the plane by myself. Well, I had traveled to and from Ouran by myself last year, so it wasn't that big of a deal. Wordlessly, I accepted the ticket, and held onto it while I slung the strap to carry-on baggage over my shoulder.

"Are you sure you're not coming, Joe?" I asked after a moment's silence.

He only smiled back. "Positive. Now, you'd better get moving," he added, turning me around and giving me a gentle push forward. "You're flight leaves in about an hour."

I glanced over my shoulder at my brother. "But, how long is this 'trip', I mean, when will I come back."

"Trust me, you'll know."

Once again, another unhelpful answer. Whatever Joe was trying to hide, he was doing a pretty good job at it. Of course, I didn't press on anymore, and bid my brother farewell as I traveled through the 'excruciating parts' of the airport. It was about twenty minutes after getting through baggage and security before I finally made it to the terminal.

Of course, like how I always would, I sat down in one of the many seats in front of the gate I was boarding. With all honesty I was too tired to do anything, so I just stayed in my seat, patiently waiting for the attendant to announce the 'now boarding' for my flight. Sometimes I would play the games my music player just to relieve myself of boredom.

As soon as the intercom broke through the low murmur of the crowd, signaling that my flight was boarding, I grabbed my carry-on luggage and maneuvered through the crowd through the tunnel. As soon as I reached my seat, I shoved my luggage into the overhead compartment, with a bit of difficulty; but once I was sure that it wouldn't pop back out and spill its contents all over the aisle, I sat down in my seat.

All that was left now was to see where this plane was going to take me.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Throughout the flight, I listened to my music, and gazed out at the fluffy white clouds hovering beneath the aircraft. Nothing too exciting. Of course, the turbulences were startling every so often. As soon as the captain announced that we would be landing soon, I packed my music player away in my pocket and waited for the plane to land on the airstrip.

As the aircraft lowered through the clouds, my eyes widened as a large city came into view with a giant mountain topped with snow at it's peak set in the background. The plane skidded to a slower speed as it turned from the landing strip and parked beside the tunnel. One by one, the passengers filed out of the aisle, with me in tow, and I soon made it out into the terminal.

Maneuvering through the crowd, I made my way over to Baggage Claim and waited for the black suitcase to slowly ride the conveyor belt over to my side of the room. I must say that it took about half an hour, and I was worried that it was lost or didn't make it on the flight; luckily though, it soon appeared, and I grabbed it, setting it down on the ground.

As I walked through the airport, passing by the shops and kiosks, a wave of nostalgia began to kick in. I wasn't sure why, but this airport seemed a little familiar to me. Heck, I even felt some déjà vu sweep over.

While riding the escalator down to the main floor, I overheard some conversations; of course, they were in a different language, so I was obviously in another country. As soon as a few of their words ran through my mind, I nearly gasped in shock. As soon as I reached the bottom of the escalator, I rushed over to a giant ceiling-to-floor glass window and glanced out at the bustling city with the giant mountain in the background. The orange, evening sky began to roll in overhead, causing some of the light in the city to automatically flicker on. The signs on the roads were written in another language as well; however, I immediately recognized what it was.

I was in Japan.

"Excuse me?" a deep male voice called out from across the room.

Snapping out of my reverie, I glanced over, but quickly froze in place as three tall men in black suits and sunglasses strode up to me. The three of them together reminded me of the CIA, or men in black at least. The one in the center had gelled dark hair; to his left was a balding aged man; and to his right was another men with short, clean cut hair. I would've run, but I at least wanted to see what they wanted with me.

"Are you Miss Katherine Johnson?" the one in the middle, who had gelled, dark hair, inquired with difficulty in his English.

"Y-yes," I answered, still intimidated by these men. "Can I help you three."

"Our master sent us to pick you up from the airport," the one to the left, who was bald spoke.

"He said not to give his name at the moment," the third man spoke, answering the question I was about to ask.

"That's silly," I remarked. "I'm not sure if I can trust you guys if don't know who you work for?"

"You might not know us Johnson-san," the man in the center spoke. "But, we are under strict orders by our master to keep you safe and to escort you to him."

Well, that didn't help me out much, and I wasn't sure if I could trust the guys and take their word. What puzzled me the most was how their 'master' knew me, and why he -whoever _he_ was- send his men to come pick me up. It just didn't make any sense to me.

"There's not much time to explain, miss," the bald man spoke. "Our master has waited long enough, and he can be impatient at times."

With that, two of the men turned around leading me out of the way, while the third one followed behind me. Probably making sure that I followed them. I must say that it was pretty suspicious looking, but these guys were able to get passed security easily. As soon as we made it out of the building, I noticed a sleek black limo stopped beside the sidewalk. The three CIA-looking men moved toward the vehicle, while I followed in tow.

Two of the men walked around to the front, while the other climbed in the back seat with me. It was pure silence as the man with gelled hair started the engine and pulled down the road, and it remained that way for the next few minutes. Of course, I was impatient and wanted to know where these guys were taking me.

"So, where're we going, anyway?" I asked.

"We are kept under orders not to speak," one of the men replied.

I sighed. "Well, can you at least tell me who your 'master' is?"

"We can't say _that_ either," another answered.

Well, these guys were no help at all, and I wasn't sure whether to think of them as kidnappers or not. I mean, they managed to get passed security by showing some kind of badges, and the officers didn't ask any further questions. I sighed once more and slouched back in the seat. At least, I knew how the President of the USA felt with his Secret Service and bodyguards around.

The silence was starting to irritate me, and the tinted windows weren't much help either. I mean, I couldn't see anything outside! Well, except through the front window of course. But, I was all the way in the back of the limo while the other two men were in the front seats. Groaning in pure boredom, I rested my elbow on the window sill and stared out at complete nothingness.

I wasn't sure what to do. My music player was still in my pocket, but I wasn't sure if it was all right to take it out or not. Plus, I wasn't tired, so that completely eliminated trying to fall asleep; of course, a million thoughts were racing through my mind at the moment.

Our of all the places Joe could've sent me to, it had to be Japan! There was nothing bad about that at all; I mean, I was glad to be back. However, I just couldn't understand why. I was still in school, so I really couldn't be living on my own. Didn't my brother already sign me up for a few classes? It didn't make any sense.

It felt like an eternity before the limousine slowed to a stop. One by one, the three men, climbed out of the vehicle, leaving me as the last one out. Of course, one of the men held their hand out to assist me out of the vehicle, which I gladly accepted.

"Thanks," I spoke.

"No problem," a familiar male voice spoke.

At that moment, I had glanced up, but I didn't come face to face with one of the men in dark suits. My cheeks began to tint a bright red as I stared up into the familiar smoky gray eyes hidden behind the young, raven-haired boy's prescription glasses. I couldn't believe what was I was seeing in front of me was real; in fact, I figured that i was staring up at him for a few good minutes or so.

"K... Kyoya?" I asked.

He only smiled. "Hello, Katherine."

That calm, smile played on his lips, while the warm, gentle spring breeze flowed through his hair. No matter how many times I blinked, the Ootori boy still stood in front of me.

"I see that my men brought you from the airport," Kyoya spoke, glancing over at the tree men standing by the vehicle.

I looked over at the three men, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "You mean, these guys are _yours_?"

"They're the Ootori Family Staff," Kyoya answered. "But, they serve me more often, and assist me on certain occasions."

"Occasions as in, whenever Tamaki gets the club into situations?" I asked with a smirk.

"More or less," he answered.

I shrugged. "It was just a thought.

"You always have thoughts."

"OH, NO! Not _this_ again!"

Kyoya only chuckled as if my outburst was nothing more than a pesky mosquito, and he adjusted his glasses. Placing my hands on my hips in annoyance, I raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's so funny?" I asked. "You know, something tells me that you like to make me blow up on purpose

"You amuse me, Katherine," the Ootori boy answered.

"I _amuse_ you?" I repeated. "What's _that_ supposed to me."

Of course, Kyoya only smiled, and then turned to his men. "Tachibana, Honda, Aijima, could you please grab, Johnson-san's luggage from the back?"

"Yes, sir!" they answered, along with a salute.

In mere seconds, the men had grabbed both backs and hauled them up to the sidewalk where Kyoya and I stood.

"Hey, you guys don't have to do that," I protested. "I can carry my own luggage."

Of course neither they, nor Kyoya listened to me, and I sighed. I may have rich friends, but that didn't mean that _I_ had to be treated like one of them. Besides, I figured that since these guys probably work endless hours for the Ootori Company, they deserved a break.

With a jerk of his head, Kyoya led his men down the sidewalk, while I followed along.

"So, senpai," I began, walking up beside the Ootori boy. "Why did you decide to have your men pick me up?"

The sunlight soon reflected off the Shadow King's glasses, a notion I was all-too familiar with. Even though I was used to it by now, it still sent shills down my spine.

"Your brother and I arranged it," he answered simply. "With you still attending Ouran, he wanted someone you knew to pick you up and escort you."

"Oh, I see..." I spoke.

However, his reply ran through my mind once more, causing me to stop in my tracks. _Still attending Ouran?_ I repeated in my mind. That couldn't be right! No matter how many times I tried to counter it with logic, it didn't make any sense.

"Wait," I spoke, causing the Kyoya and his staff to halt and turn to face me. "What do you mean 'Still attending Ouran'?"

The Ootori boy only smiled. "Just what it means. You're still attending Ouran Private Academy. You received a _full_ scholarship, remember?"

I paused to think for a moment, tracing back to the memory of first opening the letter I received from the school. Of course, all I could remember was reading the part that said that I was accepted and that was it.

"Don't tell me you skimmed through the entire text and just jumped to the part that said you were accepted," Kyoya remarked with a light chuckle.

Immediately after he said that, I mentally slapped my forehead with my hand. That was _exactly_ what I did.

The Ootori boy only smiled and then held his hand out to me. "Come along, Katherine. We can't keep your host family waiting."

Without another word, I strode up beside Kyoya and walked along with him and his men. I was still embarrassed about the fact that I skimmed through the main text of the letter just to know whether I got in or not. Of course, Kyoya must've known from the start; I mean, he does research information about all his clients, so he claims.

Once the men came to a halt, I glanced up to find that we were at the doorstep of a grand mansion that stretched for what looked like miles. It was about four or five stories tall, and had a modernized style to it; of course, it wasn't much like the Ootori's near-circle-shaped mansion.

Kyoya walked up to the door and rang the bell, before stepping back to stand beside me. The five of us waited in silence, and it was a few minutes before a young maid with long, dark hair answered the door.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes, we're here to drop off Johnson-san with her host family," Kyoya answered, with that calm smile.

The maid smiled back."Ah, so you're Johnson-san?"

"Yes, that's me," I answered.

The maid stepped back, welcoming us in, and I just had to gaze around at the decor. There was pottery adoring some of the pedestals in the corners of the room, and the columns holding up the building were intricately designed. A few paintings adorned the large walls of the building, and the flooring was polished marble with a pale, magenta-colored carpet running across it

"The Jinjou's have been eager to see you, Johnson-san," the maid spoke with a sweet smile. "Feel free to look around the foyer while I go fetch them."

With that, the maid bowed, and then strode up the stairs, her boots clicking on the marble flooring. Kyoya's men dropped the luggage on the floor, while I roamed around the foyer, gazing around in awe at the decor. I had been in Kyoya's mansion before, and the interior design at Ouran was as intricate as it could get; however, this mansion topped it.

"So, what's the deal with the host family?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Well," Kyoya began, adjusting his glasses, "you see a 'host family' allows a transfer or exchange student to live with them."

"I see," I mused, gazing back around at the ravishing foyer.

Soon afterwards, the maid reappeared at the top of the stairs, leading a middle-aged couple dressed in grey business-like suits. The man was tall with fair skin and a few wrinkles. His face was clean-shaved, and his slightly graying hair was trimmed short. Aside from the aristocratic air to him, he wore a small smile on his face, while his copper-brown eyes sparkled. His wife radiated the same kind of kindness. Her wavy, brown hair was pulled up in a bun, revealing a set of pearl earrings that matched the necklace she wore.

"Welcome to our home, Johnson-san," the maid spoke as the couple stopped in front of me. "It's an honor having you with us."

"Thanks you for allowing me to stay here," I answered with a bow. "And, please, call me Katherine."

The woman smiled. "We've heard so much about you, Katherine. In fact, our daughter was in your class." she paused for a moment and sighed. "She was always the odd one out and never talked to anyone else in the class; that is," she continued with a smile, "that is until you came along. We have you to thank, because now our daughter is livelier than ever."

"You're welcome," I answered. "It was the least I could do for your daughter."

"Speaking of which," the woman mused. Then, she turned around towards the staircase. "Tao. The transfer student is here. Why don't you come down and say 'hello'?"

"Coming," a young female voice echoed from the floor above.

Immediately, my eyes snapped open at the mention of their daughter's name. No wonder why the name 'Jinjou' sounded so familiar.

"We kept the identity of the transfer student a secret," the man explained with a smile. "We wanted to keep it a surprise."

I nodded understandingly; however, I kept my eyes on the young teenage girl with wavy brunette hair.

"So," Tao began, descending the staircase. "Who's the new transfer-"

At that moment, she glanced up; and once her misty gray eyes locked onto mine, she remained silent for a few moments. Afterwards, a wide smile began to cross her face, and I was sure that there was one creeping across mine as well.

"K.C.?" she asked, in disbelief.

"Tao!" I cried, rushing up to her.

We met each other half way, enveloped in a tight hug. The two of us were giggling and crying all at once. I mean, it was only a few days ago when I left Ouran; but it felt like years since I've seen my best friend.

"So, _you're_ the transfer student my family is keeping?" Tao inquired.

"I guess so," I answered.

I glanced over my shoulder at Kyoya, and smiled at him; and he returned my smile, before adjusting his glasses once more.

"Well, I must be going," the Ootori boy spoke. With that, he and his men thanked the Jinjou's for allowing them into their house, before being escorted out by the maid. Of course, before Kyoya exited the mansion, he glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "I'll see you at school, Katherine."

After that, he turned and walked down the pathway to the parked limousine. Once the maid closed the door, all silence filled the room for a few moments.

"Well," Tao's mother chirped, breaking the silence. "I hope you enjoy yourself, dear. Tao, why don't you show Katherine to the room she'll be staying in; and Mitsuki, could you take Katherine's bags for her."

"Oh, no, it's all right," I protests, grabbing the suitcases before the young maid could. "I've got them."

"Are you sure?" Tao's father inquired.

Smiling, I nodded. "I've got it under control."

"Well, you two girls have fun," Mrs. Jinjou spoke. "Welcome to the family, Katherine."

"Thanks again," I spoke.

After that, Tao led me up the gigantic staircase. Only she knew where every hallway and corner led to because she grew up in this maze of a mansion. All the walls and doors looked the same to me. Of course, I knew that after a while I would grow used to it.

"I'd give you the grand tour of the estate," Tao began as we walked through the elaborate corridors. "But, that would take a few hours."

"I guess we'll just have to break it down into sections," I remarked. "The West wing one day, then the East, then the courtyard, and so on."

We both laughed, and eventually, Tao stopped in front of a pair of pastel-colored double doors. After turning the knob, she pushed the door forward, and then my eyes widened at the interior of the room. _This_ was the room I'd stay in?

There was a large, ceiling to floor window with a long green curtain drawn in front of it. The carpet was a light gray color, while the ceiling high above was a pastel white. The walls were turquoise and white colored where it looked as if the pain has smears and swirled in some places. There were a few paintings and tables adoring the walls of the fancy room that looked as if it belonged in a penthouse! To the right of the room were a pair of open double doors that led into a large walk-in closet and to the left of the room was a grand master bathroom with porcelain appliances trimmed with gold. A pair of stairs in the middle of the large room led up to a large queen-sized bed with a green cover was placed at the left of the room, next to the window, while across from that was a grand wooden vanity.

I almost dropped my bags to the floor as I gazed around dumbstruck at the room.

"Is it too small?" Tao inquired warily.

"Too small?" I repeated, turning around to her. "I can't believe this is an actual bedroom. I mean, it five times the size of mine back home!"

The brunette smiled. "Well, I'm glad you like it. It's going to be your room from here until graduation."

I sighed. "I feel so guilty. I mean, I'm living the fancy life here, when I'm just a commoner."

"It's fine, K.C.," Tao answered. "We enjoy having you, and my parents just want to make you feel welcome."

"Well, you might have to call the security to come find me if I get lost, which will probably happen..."

We both laughed at the remark, and then Tao helped me unpack my belongings. After a while, one of the servants called us down for supper, which I greatly obliged, since i hadn't eaten anything since the flight to Japan. I must say that I was rather surprised when I found out that I was coming back to Japan, my home away from home; more importantly, I was going back to Ouran until I graduated! And, on top of all that, I would be living the good life with my best friend, compared the shabby apartment complex I was living in last year.

Well, each end's a new beginning, and sometimes at the end, you find yourself back at the beginning.

**~ . . * . . ~**

Living with the Jinjou's was a great experience. Tao's parents were so kind and warm-hearted; in fact, they treated me like their own daughter. Because Tao was an only child, she must've gotten bored easily with neither her parents nor anyone else was around. So, having me live with her must've been like having a sister.

A few days later, I found myself sitting at the vanity, styling my hair into it's typical low pony-tail I wore at school all the time. As soon as I was finished, I gazed into the mirror at the reflection of the young teenage girl clad in the yellow dress, the female uniform for Ouran Academy. A smile crossed my face once more, and then I picked up my bracelet from the table and latched it onto my wrist.

As if on cue, there was a knock at my door, revealing Tao on the other side. "Ready to go?" she asked with a smile.

I nodded, and then I grabbed my book bag, double checking to make sure that I had all the notebooks I would need. Afterwards, I stood up, and walked out of the room, and down the stairwell with Tao, where we were met by her parents and a chauffeur.

"Aw, don't you girls look lovely," Mrs. Jinjou spoke.

"Mom," Tao groaned.

Her mother only smiled. "Well, you have fun on your first day of school."

"We will," I spoke, walking out of the home with Tao by my side.

The chauffer opened the door for us to exit, and then led us to the parked limousine outside. Tao lived a about a few minutes away from school; of course, if I were walking like last year, it would've taken a while. The two of us climbed in, chattering all about the upcoming year we would spend together. And, now that I wouldn't have to worry about working for the Host Club, I could do all the things I never got to do in Japan.

Once the limousine pulled through the iron gates of Ouran Academy, I gazed out the window at the building and sighed happily. I was finally back home. Back to where I was surrounded by fellow classmates and friends every day. And the beginning of this year was different compared to last year. I wasn't the 'new kid' in school, and I knew the school hallways like the back of my hand.

As soon as the limo came to a halt, the chauffer opened the door, allowing Tao and I to step out. She thanked her driver, and then the two of us strode up to the large building.

"Hey, K.C.!" a pair of voices called out.

Stopping, I turned around and smiled as the twin brothers raced up to me. "Hey, Hikaru. Hey, Kaoru."

"What're you doing back here?" they asked, slyly.

"Well, turns out that I have a full scholarship," I answered sheepishly.

"Ah, so I guess that we _will_ be seeing you more often then," Hikaru commented with a smirk.

"It's great to see that you're back," Kaoru added.

I smiled up at them. "It's great to be back."

I must say that it was going to be hard getting used to Hikaru with his hair a dark color, but at least it was easier to tell the difference between him and his brother.

"So," I began. "Is the Host Club still going on?"

"Yep," Hikaru answered. "This year is our final year."

"But," Kaoru added, "the boss has been thinking about recruiting new member to train for next year."

"That way," they spoke together. "The Ouran Host Club will live on!"

"That's great to hear," I spoke with a smile.

"So, K.C.," Hikaru began, resting an elbow on my shoulder.

"Are you thinking about stopping by the club this afternoon?" Kaoru ended, mimicking his brother.

"I might," I answered, "but," I paused to glance over at Tao, who stood patiently at the door. "But, I want to get back into the gist of school; plus, I want to try out some new, clubs. Of course, I'll be sure to drop by the Host Club for a visit."

"All right!" The two brothers cheered. "We'll see you then."

With that, they sauntered into the school building, while I only smiled and shook my head. They were still the same as they were last year. Nothing could change those brothers from who they are now; and they didn't need to change.

Afterwards, I strode up to Tao and walked into the school building with her. We passed by a few of our classments from last year, and waved hello, and stopped to chat with them for a while. I even passed by Haruhi in the hallway, and she seemed surprised that I was returning for another school year; of course, after explaining the whole scholarship situation, she understood.

Taking a deep breath, I sighed happily. "It's good to be back."

Tao nodded in agreement.

We didn't say much more on our way to class, mainly because neither of us could come up with a conversation. Of course, realization struck me, and I turned to the brunette girl.

"Hey, Tao?" I asked.

"Yeah?" she answered.

"Remember after the graduation ceremony last year?" I began. "You said that you wanted to ask me something."

Tao raised an eyebrow in confusion, but then she glanced away, probably trying to remember the question. "Well," she began. "I had been thinking about this halfway through the school year last year."

With that, we stopped in the middle of the hallway. A small smile spread across the brunette's lips as she gazed off into space. I only stood by her side waiting for her to say something. As the seconds passed it felt like hours, but I didn't want to rush her to tell me; eventually though, she sighed happily and then turned to me.

"I was thinking," she began. "We should start a club together."

* * *

**Well, there you guys have it! The Epilogue-Chapter-thingy of "Fitting In". All the unanswered questions have finally been answered! :D**

**K.C.: **Yeah, I was starting to wonder why you left this story as "In Progress" instead of "Complete".

**Yeah, I'm a genius aren't I? I tricked my viewers into thinking that I've finished the story completely, when it wasn't even "Complete"! But, I've had this ending in mind way before I posted Chapter 40, where you leave.**

**K.C.:** Wait, time out! You _planned_ to "end" the story, and hold a contest for five months, only to reveal that you had this actual chapter in mind from the start?

**Yep, pretty much.**

**KC:** You set me up.

**Hey, if I told you my plan, you'd blab it out, and wouldn't be able to cooperate. Plus, we all know what a terrible liar you are.**

**KC: *grabs baseball bat***

**Um... KC? What... What're you doing with that? Hey, don't look at me that way! *starts running around room* AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!**

**KC:** 40 chapters, SG! ***swings bat, but misses*** 40 long chapters of torture and now you've led it up to this!

**Hey, c'mon, school was getting busy, second semester, so I had to go on hiatus for a while! *dodges another swing* besides! You got a sweet pimped out room at Tao's house. Plus, you're back with your boyfriend.**

**Kyoya:** You know she does have a point.

**KC:** SHUT UP, OOTORI! THIS IS _PERSONAL_ BUSINESS!

**Kyoya:** Oh, come now, Katherine, she means well.

**KC: *groans*** Whatever...

***sighs* Thanks Kyoya.**

**Kyoya:** Don't mention it. But, you owe me for that.

***groans* Man, you really are manipulative aren't you? *turns to audience* Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the **_**REAL**_** final chapter of "Fitting In"**

**AND IF YOU HAVEN'T SUBMITTED YOUR CONTEST ENTRIES. DO IT NOW! (e-mail can be found on profile, for further details, visit Chapter 43)**


	43. FITTING IN FANFUB!

**"FITTIN IN" FANDUB!**

* * *

Hey everyone~ Long time no see!

Well, I just checked my notes, and it seems like we're coming up around the time where "Fitting In" was completed.

So, in honor of my Ouran High School Host Club fanfic, "Fitting In", about to his it's first anniversarie of being completed, I've decided to turn it into an audio-tape/podcast/drama~

I've got an "Audition Info" video up on my YouTube channel (link on my profile) if you guys wanna get all the details and keep track of what parts are open.

So, yes. I'll be making a Drama-CD type podcast out of the fanfic and hold auditions for roles, even K.C. if any of you guys want to try out for her!

I'm not sure if you guys still have this story subscribed to your "Alert", but i'll just be posting this notification just in case~

**~ . . ROLES . . ~**

**(Main Cast):**

Katherine "K.C." Johnson - (OPEN)

Kyoya Otori - (OPEN)

Tamaki Suoh - (OPEN)

Haruhi Fujioka - (OPEN)

Hiakru Hitachiin - (OPEN)

Kaoru Hitachiin - (OPEN)

Mitsukuni "Hunny" Haninozuka - (OPEN)

Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka - (OPEN)

Kimiko Harakoshi - (OPEN)

~ . . * . . ~

**(Slightly Minor) **

Tao Jinjou - (OPEN)

Satoshi Morinozuka - (OPEN)

Benio Amakusa - (OPEN)

Chizuru Maihara - (OPEN)

Hinako Tsuwabuki - (OPEN)

Kazuki Takeda - (OPEN)

Joeseph Johnson - (OPEN)

Mackenzie Stone - (OPEN)

~ . . * . . ~

**(Minor - 1-2 chapter line)**

Yasuchika Haninozuka - (OPEN)

Umehito Nekozawa - (OPEN)

Ryoji "Ranka" Fujioka - (OPEN)

Momoka Latoya - (OPEN)

Ochira Tekinawa - (OPEN)

Nikki O'Riley - (OPEN)

~ . . * . . ~

**EXTRAS:**

Host Club Clients

Other Minor OCs

* * *

And... that's all I can think of so far...

So, I've advertised this on my YuoTube, DeviantART, and now Fanfiction pages! Guys... I'm REALLY dedicated to doing this, and I hope to work on it over the summer!

So, I hope you guys can try out. I'd love to work with you~

If you have any questions about this, just PM me!

**~Supergirl501**

**P.S. The link for the video is on my profile**

**DEADLINE: June 15, 2012**


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